<yi  tUe  mtohgicitt  ^/^  ^'" 


^v"*^ 


%^ 


PRINCETON,    N.  J. 


% 


Purchased  by  the  Hammill   Missionary  Fund. 


BV  2060 

.P59  1891 

\ 

Pierson, 

Arthur  T. 

1837- 

1911. 

The  divine  enterpr 

ise  of 

missions 

j13b  ^rtl)ur  QT.  person. 


THE  CRISIS  OF  MISSIONS;  or,  The  Voice  Out 
OF  THE  Cloud.     i6mo,  paper,  35  cents,  cloth,  $1.25. 

THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE  OF  MISSIONS;  i6mo. 
cloth,  $1.25. 

EVANGELISTIC  WORK  IN  PRINCIPLE  AND 
PRACTICE.     i6mo,  paper,  35  cents  ;  cloth,  $1.25. 

THE  ONE  GOSPEL;  or,  The  Combination  of  the 
Narratives  of  the  Four  Evangelists  in  One  Com- 
plete Record.  i2mo,  flexible  cloth,  red  edges,  75 
cents  ;  limp  morocco,  full  gilt,  $2.00. 

STUMBLING  STONES  REMOVED  FROM  THE 
WORD  OF  GOD.     iSmo,  cloth,  50  cents. 

THE  BAKER  &  TAYLOR  CO. 
Publishers,  740  and  742  Broadway,  New  York. 


THE 


Wxmu  €nkxpxm  of  ittissions 


THE  DIVINE 


nterprise  ot  fflissions 


A  SERIES  OF  LECTURES 

DELIVERED  AT  NEW  BRUNSWICK,  N.  J.,  BEFORE  THE 

THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY  OF  THE  REFORMED 

CHURCH    IN  AMERICA 


"GRAVES"    FOUNDATION 

IN  THE  MONTHS  OF  JANUARY  ANO  FEBRUARY,  1891 
BY 

ARTHUR   T/PIERSON 


NEW   YORK 
THE    BAKER   &   TAYLOR    CO 

740  AND  742  Broadway 


Copyright,  1891,  by 
Thb  Baker  &  Taylor  Co. 


t^  taxfon  (presm 

[73  Macdougal  Street,  New  York 


TO 

NATHAN    F.   GRAVES,    Esq. 

Of  Syracuse,   New  York 

to  whosb  discriminating  munificence  this  lectukeship 
owes  its  foundation  j 

AND  TO   WHOSE  DEVOUT  AND    INTELLIGENT   INTEREST  IN  THE 

GREAT  WORK  OF  A  WORLD'S   EVANGELIZATION 

SO    MANY   OF 

THE  FRIENDS  OF  MISSIONS  TRACE  THEIR  OWN  INCREASED  ZEAL 

FOR  THE  COMING  OF  THE  KINGDOM 

THIS  VOLUME 

IS  APPBCTIONATBLY  AND  MOST  RESPECTFULLY  INSCRIBED 


3Sg  ttie  ^vL\\)ov 


INTRODUCTION. 

BY  REV.   D.   D.   DEMAREST,   D.D., 

PROFESSOR  OF  PASTORAL  THEOLOGY,  NEW  BRUNSWICK,  N.  J. 


IN  introducing  to  the  Christian  pubHc  this 
volume  of  Lectures  on  Missions,  dehv- 
ered  before  the  Theological  Seminary  of 
the  Reformed  Church  in  America,  at  New  Bruns- 
wick, N.  J.,  it  is  proper  that  a  brief  account  should 
be  given  of  the  origin  of  the  lectureship. 

On  the  1 6th  day  of  April,  1888,  Mr.  Nathan 
F.  Graves,  an  Elder  in  the  Reformed  Church  of 
Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  and  an  active  member  of  the 
Board  of  Foreign  Missions  of  the  Reformed  Church 
in  America,  addressed  the  following  letter  to  the 
Rev.  Prof.  Mabon,  of  the  Theological  Seminary : 

"  Syracuse,  N.  Y.,  April  i6th,  1888. 
''Rev.  Prof.  W.  V.  V.  Mabon,  D.D. 

"  My  dear  Sir — I  understand  that  there  is  no  Semi- 
nary or  Professorship  of  Missions  in  the  United  States. 
I  may  be  mistaken,  but  I  am  quite  sure  that  there  is  no 
adequate  provision  made  fOr  a  service  so  important.  I 
have  noticed  that  the  missionaries  that  are  instructed  at 
Basle  have  quite  an  advantage  over  those  who  receive 


I O  IN  TROD  UCTION. 

no  special  instruction  to  fit  them  for  their  important 
work. 

"  I  write  to  enquire  if  the  subject  has  ever  been  con- 
sidered in  the  Seminary  ;  and  if  you  consider  it  desirable 
and  practicable  to  establish  such  a  professorship,  I  will 
be  greatly  obliged  for  a  reply  at  your  convenience. 
"  Very  sincerely  yours, 

"N.  F.  Graves." 

The  Faculty  having  declared  that,  in  their  opin- 
ion, it  was  desirable  and  practicable  that  some 
agency  for  missionary  instruction  should  be  estab- 
lished in  the  Seminary,  conferences  were  held  by 
Mr.  Graves  with  a  Committee  of  the  Faculty,  with 
Rev.  John  Mason  Ferris,  D.D.,  for  many  years 
Secretary  of  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  of  the 
Reformed  Church  in  America ;  with  Rev.  Henry 
N.  Cobb,  D.D.,  present  Secretary,  and  with  vari- 
ous friends  of  Foreign  Missions.  The  result  was 
a  proposal  by  Mr.  Graves  to  provide  liberally  the 
means  for  a  course  of  lectures  for  the  year  1888- 
89 ;  the  lecturer  or  lecturers  to  be  appointed  by 
the  Theological  Faculty  in  connection  with  the 
Secretary  of  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  of  the 
Reformed  Church  in  America,  while  further  action 
of  a  more  permanent  nature  was  to  be  left  for 
more  mature  consideration. 

Accordingly,  a  course  of  six  lectures  was  deliv- 
ered in  the  S.  A.  Kirkpatrick  Chapel,  the  use  of 
which  was  kindly  granted  for  the  purpose  by  the 
authorities  of  the  College.  The  lecturers  and 
subjects  were  as  follows  : 


INTRODUCTION,  n 

1.  Rev.  Henry  Stout,  of  Nagasaki,  Japan — 
The  Unique  Characteristics  of  the  Missionary 
Work  in  Japan. 

2.  Rev.  Cyrus  Hamlin,  D.D.,  formerly  of  Con- 
stantinople— Fifty  Years  of  Missionary  Education 
in  Turkey. 

3.  Rev.  Leonard  W.  Kip,  D.D.,  of  Amoy, 
China — A  Heathen  Stronghold. 

4.  Rev.  E.  M.  Wherry,  D.D.,  of  Saharanpoor, 
India — The  ReHgion  of  Islam. 

5.  Rev.  F.  F.  EUinwood,  D.D.,  Secretary  of 
the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church — The  Undesigned  Testimony  of  False 
Religions  to  the  True. 

6.  Rev.  John  H.  Wyckoff,  of  the  Arcot  Mission 
— Brahmanism  and  Christianity. 

In  their  report  made  to  the  Board  of  Superintend- 
ents, May  20th,  1889,  the  Faculty  said:  *' These 
lectures  were  able  and  instructive,  and  the  impres- 
sion made  was  so  salutary  that  we  earnestly  hope 
that  the  thought  so  generously  conceived  by  Elder 
Graves  will  be  matured  in  permanency,  and  that 
hereafter  oui*  students  may  be  able  every  year  to 
receive  instruction  from  men  of  wisdom  and  ex- 
perience in  this  great  subject.  The  thanks  of  the 
Seminary  and  of  the  Church  are  due  to  the  Elder 
whose  heart,  in  its  deep  sympathy  with  Christian 
effort  in  evangelizing  the  world,  has  projected  the 
scheme,  and  inchnes  him  to  provide  liberally  for 
its  accomphshment," 


12  iNTR  on  uc  rioN. 

Mr.  Graves  being  satisfied  with  the  experiment, 
very  promptly  and  cordially  expressed  his  wish 
and  readiness  to  provide  for  a  course  of  lectures 
for  the  year  1889-90,  and  also  for  one  for  the 
year  following,  so  that  the  lecturer  might  have  two 
years  for  preparation.  He  has  since  made  pro- 
vision for  the  future,  including  the  year  1892-93. 

The  second  course  was  delivered  in  the  winter 
of  1890  by  the  Rev.  John  Hall,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  of 
New  York  City,  embracing  lectures  on  the  follow- 
ing subjects : 

1.  The  Bible  Basis  of  Missions. 

2.  The  Missions  of  the  Early  Centuries  of 
Christianity. 

3.  Missions  Previous  to  the  Reformation. 

4.  Missions  and  the  Reformation. 

5.  Missions  from  the  Reformation  to  the  19th 
Century. 

6.  Modern  Missions,  their  Difficulties  and  En- 
couragements. 

The  Faculty,  deeming  it  to  be  right  and  wise 
that  the  Christian  pubhc  should  have  the  benefit  of 
these  lectures,  and  that  ample  opportunity  should 
be  afforded  for  the  attendance  of  the  largest  num- 
ber, obtained  from  the  Consistory  of  the  Second 
Reformed  Church  the  use  of  their  house  of  wor- 
ship for  the  purpose.  The  spacious  building  was 
crowded  every  evening  with  attentive  listeners. 

The  third  course,  by  Rev.  Arthur  T.  Pierson, 
D.D.,  comprising  the  lectures  contained  in  this  vol- 


INTRODUCTION.  13 

ume,  was  delivered  in  the  winter  of  1891,*  in  the 
First  Reformed  Church,  which  was  kindly  granted 
for  the  purpose.  The  lectures  were  heard  by  large 
congregations  with  increasing  interest  to  the  end 
of  the  course. 

At  the  close  the  following  resolutions,  offered 
by  Rev.  Prof.  T.  Sandford  Doolittle,  D.D.,  of 
Rutgers  College,  were  heartily  and  unanimously 
adopted  by  the  large  audience  present : 

Resolved. — i.  That  our  hearty  thanks  are  due  to  Rev. 
Arthur  T.  Pierson,  D.D,,  for  the  zeal  and  efficiency  with 
which  he  has  presented  so  much  valuable  information 
in  regard  to  the  mission  field  and  the  claims  of  the 
Master  upon  us  to  act  as  missionaries  in  spirit,  if  not  in 
person. 

2.  That  thanks  are  due  also  to  the  Faculty  of  the 
Theological  Seminary  for  not  limiting  these  lectures  to 
their  class-rooms,  but  for  making  them  public  in  one  of 
the  churches  of  the  city,  so  that  the  people  of  various  de- 
nominations are  allowed  the  privilege  of  hearing  them. 

3.  That  we  take  a  special  pleasure  in  exhibiting  a 
grateful  recognition  of  the  wise  and  noble  generosity  of 
Mr.  N.  F.  Graves  in  establishing  this  annual  course  of 
lectures  for  enlarging  the  knowledge  and  intensifying 
the  interest  in  Christian  missions. 

While  the  students  of  the  Seminary  for  whom 
these  lectures  were  especially  intended  have  de- 
rived inestimable  benefit  from  them,  it  is  gratifying 
to  know  that  many  Christian  people  of  all  denom- 
inations have  been  sharers  in  the  benefit.  It  is 
beheved  that  announcements  of  future  courses 
^  In  January  and  February, 


1 4  IN  TROD  UCTION. 

will  be  received  with  great  satisfaction  by  the 
Christian  public.  It  is  hoped  that  they  may  prove 
to  be  a  great  stimulus  to  missionary  zeal,  be  pro- 
motive of  unity  in  Christian  faith  and  work ;  and 
of  intelligent  and  untiring  service  in  the  kingdom 
of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  to  whom  be  all  the  glory. 

D.  D.  Demarest. 


AUTHOR'S  INTRODUCTION. 


T  was  a  wise  maxim  of  Cicero,  that,  in 
the  opening  of  an  address,  the  speaker 
and  his  audience  should  come  to  a  mutual 
understanding.  Let  the  author  thus  early  acquaint 
his  readers  with  the  supreme  aim  which  has 
controlled  his  utterances. 

In  the  preparation  of  these  lectures  two  paths 
lay  open  before  the  lecturer.  He  might,  acting 
as  an  annahst,  trace  that  march  of  missions,  which 
is  the  marvel,  if  not  the  miracle,  of  this  modem 
age ;  or,  like  the  historian,  he  might  seek  to  ex- 
amine into  those  fundamental  laws  and  philo- 
sophical principles  which  are  the  keys  of  history. 
In  the  Books  of  the  Kings,  for  example,  we  have 
the  historical  annals  of  the  Kingdom ;  in  the  Books 
of  the  Chronicles,  the  ethical  survey  of  the  The- 
ocracy :  in  one  case  a  simple  record  of  events ;  in 
the  other,  a  lesson  on  the  faithfulness  or  faithless- 
ness of  the  kings  toward  the  King  of  Kings,  with 
the  rewards  and  retributions  consequent  upon  such 
opposite  courses. 

I  have  chosen,  as  the  theme,  The  Divine  Enter- 


l6  AUTHOR'S  INTRODUCTION. 

prise  of  Missions;  and  shall  modestly  attempt  a 
Philosophy  of  History,  dealing  with  the  "  Theoc- 
racy "  rather  than  the  "  Kingdom."  The  annals, 
both  of  ancient  Israel  and  of  the  modern  Church, 
record  mingled  success  and  failure.  Whether  it 
be  the  one  or  the  other  cannot  depend  on  any 
chance  or  accident.  There  is  no  fatalism  in  his- 
tory. Our  instincts  tell  us  that  success  must  be 
the  consequence  and  crown  of  conformity  to  the 
pattern  shewed  us  in  the  mount ;  and  failure,  the 
result  of  departure  from  the  divine  standard. 
Some  golden  calf  which  some  Aaron  may  have 
cast,  out  of  unhallowed  offerings ;  some  carved 
altar,  which  some  idolatrous  Ahaz  may  have  set 
up  in  place  of  the  unhewn  altar  of  the  divine 
simpHcity  that  is  in  Christ — in  a  word,  some  dis- 
placing of  the  pure  and  perfect  type  of  doctrine 
and  method,  prescribed  in  the  Word  of  God,  may 
account  for  the  withholding  of  blessing,  and  for 
defeat  and  disaster  in  our  missionary  work. 

We  have  need,  perhaps,  to  begin  again,  and  lay 
anew  the  basis  of  missionary  enterprise ;  or,  if  we 
find  the  former  foundation  firm  and  sound,  we 
may  need  at  least  to  see  whether,  on  that  founda- 
tion, we  have  been  building  gold,  silver,  precious 
stones  ;  or  wood,  hay,  stubble.  Possibly,  into  the 
structure  of  our  mission  work  some  errors  have 
been  built,  which  are  serious  if  not  radical.  To 
get  God's  own  conception  of  missions  informed 
and  infixed  in  oiu-  minds,  our  hearts  and  our  prac- 


AUTHOR'S  INTRODUCTION.  17 

tical  methods,  might  lead  to  the  partial  and  even 
total  revolution  of  our  present  mission  work. 

Feeling  the  solemnity  of  this  trust,  as  the  in- 
cumbent of  this  lectureship,  for  my  own  sake  and 
that  of  my  readers,  and  for  the  sake  of  a  cause 
wider  and  broader  than  all,  I  have  given  myself, 
Bible  in  hand,  to  a  careful,  prayerful  study  of  this 
theme,  seeking  to  be  rid  of  all  bias,  either  of  prej- 
udice or  prepossession,  and  to  be  led  into  all  truth. 
And,  as  the  studies  which,  for  more  than  a  year 
before  the  delivery  of  these  lectures,  were  largely 
hmited  to  this  one  subject,  have  rent  the  veil  from 
much  that  was  hitherto  hidden  or  at  best  obscure 
to  my  own  mind,  it  will  not  be  strange  if  some 
things  which  found  utterance  in  the  lecture-course 
may  strike  other  minds  as  new,  and  even  as  untrue. 
The  lecturer  ventures  to  ask  the  confidence  of  his 
indulgent  readers  and,  on  their  part  also,  patient 
study  of  the  principles  laid  down.  Let  there  be 
applied  to  them,  not  the  test  of  human  authority 
or  opinion  merely;  but  the  touchstone  of  the 
Word  of  God,  and  of  His  manifest  working  in  the 
History  of  Missions. 

Human  tradition  is  a  dangerous  ally  of  the 
Bible,  for,  too  often,  it  ''  makes  void  the  Word  of 
God."  At  first  only  a  vassal,  it  becomes  a  con- 
sort, and  finally  a  sovereign,  usurping  all  authority. 
And,  as  Luther  found  it  necessary  to  question 
even  the  venerable  traditions  of  the  elders,  and 
separate  the  infallible  Scriptures  from  all  the  chaff 


1 8  AUTHOR'S  INTRODUCTION. 

and  alloy  of  mere  human  teaching,  it  behoves  us 
to  pray  for  grace  to  go  back  to  the  very  beginning, 
and  inquire  of  the  Master  himself  what  are  the 
eternal  and  immutable  principles  of  mission  work. 

Arthur  T.  Pierson. 

2320  Spruce  Street,  Philadelphia, 
October,  1891. 


I. 

THE   DIVINE  THOUGHT  OF   MISSIONS. 

HEN,  on  the  15th  of  May,  16 18,  after 
more  than  twenty  years  of  patient  ex- 
periment, Johann  Kepler  completed  his 
discovery  of  the  so-called  "  Harmonic  Laws,"  or 
the  relations  of  the  planets ;  when  the  secret  doors, 
that  had  waited  six  thousand  years  for  a  key,  were 
at  last  unlocked  by  the  theory  of  an  elliptical  orbit, 
the  great  astronomer  of  Magstatt,  no  longer  able 
to  contain  his  rapture,  cried,  ''  O  Almighty  God, 
I  think  Thy  thoughts  after  Theef' 

What  the  '*  Legislator  of  the  Heavens  "  did,  in 
the  department  of  astronomy,  we  seek  to  do  in 
the  department  of  missions — think  God's  thought 
after  God.  The  words  "  idea  "  and  "  theory  "  are, 
to  some  linguists,  sacred,  because  of  a  possible 
derivation  of  the  one  from  the  Latin,  deus,  and  of 
the  other  from  the  Greek,  Qeoq ;  and  of  a  possible 
design  by  those  words  to  express  conceptions  as 
they  he  in  the  mind  of  God.  If  such  be  the  real 
roots,  the  word  idea  {in  deo)  would  mean  a  thought 
first  conceived  in  God,  and  then  expressed  to  men 
— a  theory  would  be  a  sacred  image,  pattern,  or 
plan  of  God.     The  ancient   Platonists  used  the 


20  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

word  i^efflj  of  an  eternal  immutable  and  immaterial 
form  or  model  of  an  object,  an  archetype,  a  pat- 
tern.* In  this  sense,  ideas  were  the  pattern  accord- 
ing to  which  the  Deity  fashioned  the  phenomenal 
or  ectypal  world. t 

An  idea^  therefore,  properly  implies  a  perfectio7i 
of  image.  If  we  can,  at  the  outset,  get  before  us 
the  divine  conception  of  missions,  what  a  starting- 
point  will  that  be,  and  to  what  an  advanced  goal 
might  we  hope  to  reach,  if,  true  to  our  starting- 
point,  we  keep  on  our  course  without  deviation  ! 

The  four  Gospel  narratives  have,  at  the  close  of 
each — as  has  also  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  that 
*'  Fifth  Gospel,"  at  its  beginning, — certain  words 
of  our  Lord  which  are  evidently  meant  for  the 
guidance  of  His  disciples,  in  all  time  to  come,  as 
to  their  great  mission  and  commission.  Each  of 
these  accounts  contains  something,  different  from 
the  others,  yet  essential  to  the  full  and  complete 
expression  of  our  Lord's  will  and  our  duty.  As, 
in  a  composite  photograph,  various  facial  forms 
and  features  blend,  combining  individual  pecuhari- 
ties  in  one  collective  result,  so,  if  we  may  project, 
as  upon  one  sensitive  plate,  these  five  forms  of  the 
Great  Commission ;  and,  instead  of  looking  at 
them  separately,  behold  them  all,  blent  in  one 
composite  view,  we  may  at  one  glance  see  the 
mutual  relations  of  these  various  words  of  instruc- 
tion and  get  the  grand  total. 

*  Worcester's  Dictionary.  f  Sir  Wm.  Hamilton. 


THE    THOUGHT  OF  MISSIONS.  21 

With  this  aim,  we  may  reverently  venture  to 
combine  these  five  fragmentary  utterances  into 
one,  without  implying  that,  in  our  Lord's  original 
teaching,  they  were  thus  blended;  or  that  it  is 
possible  to  determine  either  their  logical  or  chro- 
nological order.  We  seek  simply  to  frame  a  general 
summary,  without  omission  of  any  particulars; 
and  to  group  together  words  of  instruction  or 
promise  which,  by  affinity,  belong  together.  The 
attempt  so  to  arrange  and  combine  has  been  at- 
tended with  such  profit  to  the  writer,  that  he  can- 
not but  hope  it  may  at  least  prompt  abler  students 
of  the  Word  to  improve  upon  the  imperfect  result. 
Close  study  of  these  farewell  words  of  our  Lord  will 
reveal  an  exquisite  poetry  of  thought,  a  certain 
rhythm  and  rhyme  of  conception,  which  need  the 
aid  of  parallelism  to  convey  this  correspondence. 

I. 

And  Jesus  came  and  spake  unto  them,  saying: 
"PEACE   BE   UNTO   YOU!" 

And  when  He  had  so  said  He  shewed  unto  them  His 
hands  and  His  side.  Then  were  the  disciples  glad  when 
they  saw  the  Lord  ;  then  said  Jesus  to  them  again  : 

"  PEACE   BE  UNTO   YOU  !  " 

H. 
"ALL  POWER   IS  GIVEN   UNTO   ME 

IN  HEAVEN  AND  IN  EARTH. 
AS  MY  FATHER   HATH   SENT  ME, 

EVEN  SO  SEND  I  YOU." 


22  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

III. 

Then  opened  He  their  understanding  that  they  might 
understand  the  scriptures;  and  said  unto  them; 
"  Thus  it  is  written, 
And  thus  it  behoved  Christ  to  suffer 
And  to  rise  from  the  dead  the  third  day ; 

AND   THAT 

REPENTANCE  AND    REMISSION   OF  SINS 
SHOULD  BE  PREACHED  IN  HIS  NAME 

AMONG  ALL  NATIONS, 
BEGINNING  AT  JERUSALEM. 

AND   YE   ARE   WITNESSES    OF    THESE 
THINGS." 

IV. 

"GO  YE  THEREFORE  INTO  ALL  THE  WORLD 

AND   PREACH   THE  GOSPEL  TO   EVERY 

CREATURE. 

GO,  MAKE   DISCIPLES   OF  ALL   NATIONS, 

Baptizing  in  the  name  of  the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and 

of  the  Holy  Ghost ; 

Teaching  them  to  observe  all  things  whatsoever  I  have 

commanded  you. 

He  thai  believeth  and  is  baptized  shall  be  saved, 

But  he  that  believeth  not  shall  be  damned. 

V. 

AND,  BEHOLD  I  SEND  THE  PROMISE  OF  MY  FATHER 
UPON  YOU. 

Depart  ye  not  from  Jerusalem, 

But  wait  for  the  promise  of  the  Father 

Which  ye  have  heard  of  Me. 


THE    THOUGHT  OF  MISSIONS.  23 

Tarry  ye  in  the  city  of  Jerusalem, 

UNTIL  YE  BE  ENDUED  WITH   POWER   FROM 

ON  HIGH. 

For  John  truly  baptized  with  water, 

But  ye  shall  be  baptized  with  the  Holy  Ghost  not  many 

days  hence. 

Ye  shall  receive  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost 

Coming  upon  you ; 

AND    YE    SHALL    BE    WITNESSES 
UNTO    ME 

Both  in  Jerusalem  and  in  all  Judea, 

And  in  Samaria, 

And  unto  the  uttermost  part  of  the  earth." 

And  He  breathed  on  them 

And  saith  unto  them, 

"  Receive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost." 

VI. 
"AND  LO,  I  AM  WITH  YOU  ALWAY, 

EVEN  UNTO  THE  END  OF  THE  AGE. 

And  these  signs  shall  follow  them  that  believe : 

In  My  name  shall  they  cast  out  demons ; 

They  shall  speak  with  new  tongues  ; 

They  shall  take  up  serpents  ; 

And  if  they  drink  any  deadly  thing  it  shall  not  hurt 

them  ; 

They  shall  lay  hands  on  the  sick  and  they  shall  recover." 

VII. 

And  He  led  them  out  as  far  as  to  Bethany. 
So  then,  after  the  Lord  had  spoken  unto  them, 

He  lifted  up  His  hands  and  blessed  them  ; 

And  it  came  to  pass,  while  He  blessed  them. 

He  was  parted  from  them  ; 


24  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

And  while  they  beheld,  He  was  taken  up, 

And  a  cloud  received  Him  out  of  their  sight. 

And  He  was  carried  up  and  received  up  into  heaven, 

And  they  worshipped  Him 

And  returned  to  Jerusalem  with  great  joy, 

And  were  continually  in  the  temple 

Praising  and  blessing  God. 

AND  THEY  WENT   FORTH  AND   PREACHED 

EVERYWHERE, 

THE   LORD   WORKING  WITH 

AND   CONFIRMING  THE  WORD, 

WITH   SIGNS  FOLLOWING. 

AMEN  I 

Thus,  combining  all  these  farewell  words  of  our 
Lord,  and  grouping  together  sayings  that  bear  to 
each  other  a  peculiar  relation,  we  find  that  the 
whole  natiu"ally  falls  into  seven  parts. 

First,  we  have  a  double  salutation  of  Peace. 

Secondly,  a  declaration  of  Divine  Authority,  and 
a  distinct,  authoritative  Commission — sending  the 
disciples  forth, — a  transmission  of  this  authority. 

Thirdly,  an  unfolding  of  the  essential  truths  of 
Redemption,  the  Atoning  Death  and  Resurrection 
of  Christ,  and  the  substance  of  the  message  to  be 
borne  in  His  name.  And  here  occurs  that  phrase 
central  and  vital  to  the  whole  commission,  ''Ye 
are  witnesses  of  these  things ^ 

Fourthly,  we  have  the  universality  of  the  com- 
mission indicated  in  three  unmistakable  terms: 
two  of  which  are  collective, — "  all  the  world,"  and 
"  all  nations," — and  the  third  of  which  is  distribu- 


THE    THOUGHT   OF  MISSIONS.  25 

tive, — "  every  creature," — showing  us  that  while 
the  message  is  universal,  it  is  also  individual. 

Fifthly,  we  have  the  great  qualification  for  the 
proper  discharge  of  the  commission ;  the  Endue- 
ment  with  Power  by  the  baptism  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

Sixthly,  we  have  the  assurance  of  the  Saviour's 
personal  presence,  and  of  signs  following  those 
who  believe. 

Finally,  we  have  the  Lord's  parting  blessing 
and  ascension  and  the  brief  record  of  the  fulfil- 
ment begun,  both  of  the  duty  of  the  Chiu-ch  and 
of  the  promise  of  her  Lord. 

In  this  whole  body  of  instructions  there  is  one 
word,  so  central,  so  vital,  so  emphatic,  that  it  is 
the  only  word  which  is  made  especially  prominent 
by  repetition  ;  it  is  the  word  witness.  "  Ye  are 
witnesses  of  these  things  "  ;  ''  Ye  shall  be  tvitnesses 
unto  me."  The  only  other  word  that  rivals  this 
for  prominence  is  the  word  '' preach, ^^  which  really 
conveys  essentially  the  same  meaning,  since  the 
soul  of  preaching  is  witnessing. 

It  seems,  therefore,  that  if,  at  the  outset,  we 
desire  to  grasp  the  divine  idea  of  missions,  here 
we  shall  find  our  starting-point  toward  the  most 
advanced  goal.  It  is  like  God  to  be  simple ;  and 
in  that  one  word,  witfiess,  is  condensed  the  whole 
wisdom  of  God  as  to  this  world-wide  work.  We 
are  to  be  witnesses  unto  Him.  Let  us  seek  to 
enter  more  fully  into  this  thought  of  God  as  con- 
veyed in  this  word. 


26  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

The  race  of  man  is  lost  in  sin — lost  to  God,  and 
to  holiness  and  heaven.  Beside  the  generic,  fed- 
eral fall  of  the  race  in  its  head,  there  has  been  a 
voluntary  and  personal  fall,  each  sinning  soul  for 
itself,  in  departing  from  the  living  God.  Jesus 
Christ,  the  second  Adam,  takes  man's  place.  He 
obeys  the  law  which  Adam  transgressed,  and 
proves  obedience  possible  ;  then  He  dies  in  the  sin- 
ner's place  to  make  his  redemption  also  possible. 
We  do  not  here  tarry  to  consider  the  philosophy  of 
the  plan  of  salvation  :  the  fact  is  enough  that,  in 
some  way  and  sense,  "  He  bare  our  sins  in  His 
own  body  on  the  tree,  that  we,  being  dead  to  sin, 
should  live  unto  righteousness,"  and  that  "  by  His 
stripes  we  are  healed."  While  the  Word  of  God 
repeatedly  and  constantly  affirms  this  fact,  it  never 
attempts  to  exhaust  its  philosophy.     Nor  need  we. 

The  only  condition  of  salvation  is  the  acceptance 
of  God's  free  gift  of  eternal  hfe  through  Jesus 
Christ  our  Lord.  As  Chalmers  taught,  this  is  the 
supreme  glory  of  the  Gospel,  that  it  is  simply  to 
be  accepted.  Repentance  is  only  that  godly  sorrow 
for  sin  and  that  sense  of  need  which  dispose  us  to 
faith ;  obedience  is  only  the  natural  fruit  of  that 
new  life  begun  in  believing.  And  so  faith  is  cen- 
tral and  all-inclusive,  and  faith  is  believing,  and 
believing  is  receiving.  "To  as  many  as  received 
Him,  to  them  gave  He  power  to  become  the  Sons 
of  God,  even  to  as  many  as  believe  on  His  name." 
That  one  verse  proves  that  to  believe  is  to  receive; 


THE    THOUGHT  OF  MISSIONS.  27 

and,  in  all  the  instances  in  the  Gospel  according 
to  John  where  that  word,  believe,  occurs,  we  may 
substitute  the  word,  receive,  and  find  the  sense 
unaffected. 

We  need  to  take  one  step  further,  and  we  reach 
another  equally  simple  but  equally  vital  truth. 
"  God  would  have  all  men  to  be  saved  and  to 
come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth."  The  salva- 
tion is  broad  enough  to  cover  the  sin  of  all  man- 
kind. The  rescue  is  ample  for  the  ruin  of  the 
race.  How  shall  the  unsaved  be  reached  %  Be- 
hold again  how  divinely  simple  is  the  thought  of 
God:  let  every  believer  become  a  witness — let 
every  man,  who  is  saved,  seek  to  save.  It  is  no 
irreverence  to  say  that  God's  whole  idea  of  mis- 
sions may  be  found,  in  essence,  in  that  one  word, 
wit)iessing.  The  salvation  of  God  is  full  and  free. 
To  accept  it  freely  is  immediate  justificatioti;  to 
accept  it  fully  is  complete  saiictification;  to  witness 
to  it  fully  and  freely  is  complete  service — it  is  to 
be  a  missionary  wherever  we  are. 

Let  us  dwell  a  moment  on  the  simplicity  of  wit- 
nessing for  Christ.  Nothing  can  be  more  primitive 
and  simple.  The  word  itself  has  a  lesson :  it  is 
from  the  Saxon,  witan,  to  know,  the  root  of  many 
kindred  words,  ''wit,"  ''wist,"  "wisdom."  A 
witness  needs,  therefore,  but  two  characteristics : 
knowledge  and  utterance.  To  know  and  to  tell 
makes  a  witness,  and  hence  even  a  little  child  is 
now  admitted  to  our  courts  of  law  as  competent 


28  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

to  testify.  And  in  the  higher  Court  of  Humanity, 
the  Parhament  of  Man,  even  a  little  child  is  admit- 
ted, to  bear  witness  to  Jesus  and  the  great  salva- 
tion, before  the  tribunal  of  public  opinion ;  be- 
cause a  child  can  sin,  can  repent,  can  beheve, 
and  can  therefore  tell  what  he  knows  of  salvation 
by  faith.  In  fact,  no  testimony  is  more  convinc- 
ing than  that  of  a  guileless  child. 

This  simplicity  is  in  order  to  universality ;  for 
it  brings  the  privilege  within  the  range  of  all  be- 
lievers. As  the  Gospel  is  marked  by  its  universal 
adaptation  to  man  as  man,  so  the  missionary  charge 
is  pecuHar  for  its  universal  adaptation  to  believers 
as  believers.  It  requires  but  the  least  measure  of 
capacity,  to  sin,  and  whoever  can  sin,  can  be  saved 
from  sin ;  and  so  it  requires  but  the  least  measure 
of  capacity  to  be  a  witness,  for  whoever  can  sin 
and  can  be  saved,  can  tell  of  salvation. 

We  repeat,  it  is  simple  that  it  may  be  universal. 
This  duty,  this  privilege,  is  committed  to  all 
believers,  and  has  reference  to  the  whole  race  of 
man.  It  is  therefore  doubly  universal;  all  be- 
lievers are  to  witness,  and  are  to  witness  unto  all. 
All  who  are  saved  are  to  bear  testimony,  and  all 
who  are  unsaved  are  to  hear  that  testimony. 

Here  we  meet,  at  the  outset  of  this  discussion, 
the  first  of  those  traditions  of  men  which  have 
practically  made  the  Word  of  God  of  none  effect. 
Believers  commonly  have  no  sense  of  either  per- 
sonal  duty  or  responsibility  toward  lost  souls.     What- 


THE    THOUGHT  OF  MISSIONS.  29 

ever  be  their  duty,  it  is  believed  it  may  be  done 
indirectly  and  by  proxy.  Nay,  during  the  ages, 
the  Church  of  God  has  come  to  recognize  a  divid- 
ing line,  not  found  in  the  New  Testament,  between 
the  clergy  and  the  laity ^  so-called.  A  small  mi- 
nority of  church  members  are  set  apart  for  the 
preaching  of  the  Gospel  and  the  care  of  souls. 
The  very  terms  "preacher,"  ''pastor,"  "curate," 
have  come  to  embody  this  conception,  that  these 
men  are  especially  ordained  to  preach  the  Gospel, 
shepherd  believers,  and  care  for  souls.  What, 
then,  is  the  duty  of  the  "  laity ^^  but  to  take  care 
of  the  "  clergy^''  hear  the  Gospel  which  they  preach, 
keep  in  the  fold,  or  follow  with  the  flock  where 
the  pastor  leads ;  and  to  see  to  it  that,  while  the 
"  curate"  is  caring  for  souls,  he  shall  be  paid  for 
his  professional  work  ?  This  is  the  theory,  judged 
by  the  practice.  The  great  bulk  of  professing 
Christians  have  no  systematic  work  for  unsaved 
souls ;  many  of  them  have  never  yet  even  looked 
upon  it  as  a  duty  to  seek  and  to  save  that  which 
was  lost.  In  their  conceptions  of  the  Christian 
life  this  does  not  enter  as  a  necessary  integral  fac- 
tor. To  go  to  church  with  reasonable  regularity, 
to  pay  pew-rent  punctually,  to  be  honest  and  hon- 
orable and  charitable ;  to  behave  like  a  Christian 
in  the  church,  in  the  home,  and  in  society,  espe- 
cially if,  to  all  else,  be  added  a  generous  gift  now 
and  then  to  missions  at  home  and  abroad ;  this  is 
— to  most  professed  believers — to  live  the  life  of  a 


30  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

disciple.  O  for  the  trump  of  Gabriel,  to  peal  out 
this  truth  as  with  the  voice  of  the  thunder ! — in 
all  this  a  tnie  child  of  God  sees  but  the  beginnings 
not  the  end,  of  holy  living/  Where  shall  we  find 
adequate  room  for  that  grander  thought  of  ditrct 
service  to  God  in  witnessing  to  souls  in  Christ's 
name? 

We  here  unhesitatingly  affirm  that  the  concep- 
tion of  Christian  Hfe  which  leaves  out  personal 
labor  for  lost  souls,  is  as  radically  wanting  as  that 
conception  of  salvation  which  leaves  out  faith  :  for 
beHeving  is  not  more  prominently  connected  with 
salvation  than  is  witnessing  connected  with  ser- 
vice to  God !  And,  because  all  new  energy  or 
enterprise  in  missions  hinges  on^a  revival  of  this 
apostolic  faith  and  practice,  we  give  it  intensest 
emphasis  here  at  the  outset  of  this  discussion. 

Careful  comparison  of  the  various  accounts, 
given  by  the  evangelists,  of  our  Lord's  last  inter- 
views with  his  disciples,  has  led  Rev.  Dr.  Robinson 
and  others  to  conclude  that  the  gathering  on  the 
*'  mountain  in  Galilee  "  was  the  occasion  when,  as 
Paul  says,  "He  was  seen  of  above  five  hundred 
brethren  at  once."  *  It  was  not  needful  that  He 
should  go  into  that  northern  province  simply  to 
meet  the  eleven,  whom  He  repeatedly  met  in  Jeru- 
salem ;  nor  could  it  be  any  of  them  who  ''  doubted," 
since  even  the  sceptical  Thomas  had  ceased  to 
question.     But  Christ  had  spent  the  bulk  of  His 

*  Of.  Matt,  xxviii.  i6  ;  I.  Cor.  xv.  6. 


THE    THOUGHT  OF  MISSIONS.  31 

active  ministry  in  Galilee :  there  He  had  spoken 
most  of  His  wondrous  words  and  wrought  most  of 
His  marvellous  works ;  and  there  most  of  His  dis- 
ciples were  found.  That  parting  interview  in 
Galilee  seems  meant  to  commit  formally  and  finally 
to  the  great  body  of  His  followers  the  work  of  wit- 
nessing for  Him. 

To  clothe  that  closing  scene,  depicted  by  Mat- 
thew, with  such  an  environment,  is  to  invest  it 
with  a  new  grandeur.  Not  to  a  few  apostles 
alone,  in  some  secluded  chamber  in  Capernaum, 
but  to  a  multitude  numbering  upwards  of  five 
hundred  ;  His  pulpit  a  mountain  peak  ;  His  audi- 
ence chamber  bounded  only  by  the  horizon,  and 
roofed  in  only  by  the  canopy  of  heaven,  the  cathe- 
dral of  nature !  How  fitting  that  the  world's 
Redeemer,  stretching  out  His  pierced  hands  as 
though  to  touch  the  farthest  limits  of  the  globe 
from  sunrise  to  sunset,  where  no  narrow  walls 
could  confine  His  voice,  should  say  to  all  His  disci- 
ples :  "  Go  ye  into  all  the  world  and  preach  the 
Gospel  to  every  creature  !  " 

This  ought  to  be  granted,  as  beyond  all  dispute : 
preaching  the  Gospel,  in  its  original  and  proper 
sense,  is  the  privilege  and  prerogative  of  no  ex- 
clusive class :  it  inahenably  belongs  to  all  behevers. 
Those  terms,  "  clergy  "  and  "  laity,"  are  the  inven- 
tion of  the  devil  in  the  Dark  Ages.  The  former, 
from  KXrjpog,  a  lot,  is  an  Old  Testament  conception 
brought  over  into   New  Testament  times.     The 


32  THE   DIVINE   ENTERPRISE. 

tribe  of  Levi  was  the  "lot,"  or  heritage  of  the 
Lord ;  and  the  "  clergy  "  have  been  conceived  as 
being  specially  and  exclusively  chosen,  like  the 
Levites,  to  perform  this  ministry.  On  the  other 
hand,  the  term  "  laity,"  from  "kaoq,  the  people,  in- 
dicates the  current  impression  that  the  body  of 
behevers — the  people  of  God  at  large — are  shut 
out  from  the  exercise  of  ministerial  functions. 
As  Gibbon  says:  '  The  progress  of  ecclesiastical 
authority  gave  birth  to  the  memorable  distinction 
of  the  laity  and  clergy  which  had  been  unknown 
to  the  Greeks  and  Romans.  The  former  of  these 
appellations  comprehended  the  body  of  the  Chris- 
tian people ;  the  latter  was  appropriated  to  the 
chosen  portion  that  had  been  set  apart  for  the  ser- 
vice of  religion." 

The  introduction  of  this  distinction  into  the 
Church  of  Christ  was  not  only  an  invention  of  the 
devil,  but  a  master-stroke  of  Satan-craft.  Where 
in  the  New  Testament  is  to  be  found  a  trace  of 
that  rigid  hne  that  so  sharply  separated  priests 
and  people  in  the  days  of  Judaism  ?  The  older 
conception  of  a  kingdom  of  priests,*  which  ante- 
dates the  separation  of  Levi's  tribe  for  the  service 
of  the  Tabernacle,  now  comes  once  more  to  the 
front.  No  believer  finds  himself  fenced  into  an 
outer  court, — even  the  veil  that  hid  the  Holy  of 
Holies  is  rent  in  twain ;  and,  without  priestly  or 
high  priestly  mediation,  every  child  of  God  comes 

*  Exod.  xix.  6, 


THE    THOUGH f  OF  MISSIONS.  Z2y 

boldly  to  the  mercy  seat,  having  access  through 
Christ  by  one  Spirit  unto  the  Father.  Every  be- 
liever is,  therefore,  by  right  a  preacher.  No 
sooner  does  Andrew  find  Jesus  than  he  goes  after 
Peter ;  or  Philip,  than  he  seeks  Nathanael.  Nay, 
even  a  woman,  and  she  a  Samaritan  and  an  out- 
cast, when  she  finds  the  Messiah  at  the  well, 
immediately  leaves  her  water-pot,  in  her  haste  to 
impart,  as  from  an  inner  spring,  greater  than 
Jacob's  well,  a  Hfe-giving  draught  to  thirsty  souls 
in  Sychar ! 

No  more  significant  statement  can  be  found, 
even  in  that  great  book  of  missions, — the  Acts 
of  the  Apostles, — than  that  which  follows  the 
account  of  Stephen's  martyrdom :  ''  There  was  a 
great  persecution  against  the  Church  which  was  at 
Jerusalem;  and  they  were  all  scattered  abroad 
through  all  the  regions  of  Judea  and  Samaria, 
except  the  Apostles :  therefore  they  that  were 
scattered  abroad  went  everywhere  preaching  the 
Word."  * 

With  what  divine  care  is  this  fact  framed  into 
sacred  history  !  The  Spirit  of  God  records  a  gen- 
eral scattering  abroad,  but  records  also  that,  in 
that  scattering,  the  Apostles  are  not  i7icluded;  those, 
then,  that  went  everywhere  preaching  the  Word, 
were  simply  ordinary  believers.  Behold  them — 
the  elect  dispersion,  driven  by  the  red  hand  of 
persecution  into  the  remote  parts  of  Judea  and 

*  Acts  viii,  1-4;  xi.  19,  20. 


34  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

Samaria,  and  afterward  to  the  Phoenician  coast, 
to  Cyprus,  to  Antioch.  Without  one  ordained 
apostle,  even  to  lead  the  way,  they  preached  the 
Lord  Jesus;  and  God,  who  by  His  Providence 
dispersed  them,  by  His  grace  set  His  seal  upon 
their  work,  for  "  the  hand  of  the  Lord  was  with 
them,  and  a  great  number  beheved  and  turned 
unto  the  Lord."  * 

Thus  far,  certainly,  we  find  no  rigid  line  sep- 
arating and  dividing  disciples  in  proclaiming  the 
good  news. 

Those  who  are  infected  with  the  "  High  Church" 
tendencies  of  our  day  may  do  well  to  note  that, 
in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  there  is  not  found 
any  sacred  line  of  limitation  even  in  the  admifiis- 
tration  of  the  sacraments.  Philip,  who  acted  as 
an  evangehst,  and  went  down  to  Samaria  and 
preached  Christ  with  such  power,  also  baptized 
both  men  and  women,  as  he  did  the  eunuch  of 
Ethiopia ;  t  and  yet  this  Philip  was  at  best  only  a 
deacon,  set  apart,  it  is  true,  but  not  set  apart  as  a 
preacher,  but  as  a  server  of  tables ;  and  one  case 
of  such  exercise  of  sacramental  rights  is  enough  to 
break  down  the  limiting  line.  The  whole  trend  of 
New  Testament  teaching  is  in  the  direction  of  the 
universal  priesthood  of  believers.  In  this  divine 
Charter  of  the  Chiurch,  these  truths  are  self-evident, 
that  all  believers  are  new-created  and  equal  in 
their  inherent   privileges,   endowed  with  certain 

*  Acts  xi.  21,  f  Acts  viii.  5,  12,  38, 


THE    THOUGHT  OF  MISSIONS.  35 

original,  inalienable  rights,  among  which  is  wit- 
nessing. 

It  would  be  unfair  to  interpret  these  words  as 
a  fling  against  an  ordained  ministry.  There  are 
many  good  grounds  for  setting  apart  godly  men  to 
the  service  of  pulpit  and  pastorate.  We  cordial- 
ly concede  this,  in  the  interests  of  law  and  order, 
of  sound  doctrine  and  good  government,  of  organ- 
ization and  leadership,  of  aptness  to  teach  and 
wise,  systematic  curacy  of  souls.  But  to  erect 
Christ's  ministers  into  a  clerical  caste ^  to  build  a 
barrier  between  them  and  the  rest  of  God's  people 
in  the  matter  of  witnessing  for  Christ  and  winning 
souls — that  is  both  false  to  Scripture  and  fatal  to 
missions !  We  must  turn  back  and  retrace  our 
steps  and  get  once  more  upon  the  primitive  apos- 
tolic platform.  We  need  another  Luther  who 
shall  nail  up  his  theses  upon  the  doors  of  the 
"  church  of  all  saints,"  and  assert,  in  behalf  of  all 
saints,  their  "  Declaration  of  Independence,"  with 
these  original,  inalienable  rights.  We  must  brush 
away  the  rubbish  of  human  inventions  and  devices 
of  the  devil,  and  plant  our  firm  feet  on  the  broad 
basis  laid  down  in  the  Word  of  God,  that,  by 
right  of  redemption  in  Christ,  all  the  Lord's  peo- 
ple are  prophets,  priests,  and  kings.  Whatever 
function,  inhering  in  believers,  may,  in  the  inter- 
ests of  expediency  and  for  the  general  good,  be 
conceded  to  a  certain  class,  one  universal  right 
must  be  retained — or  if,  in  any  measure,  practically 


36  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

given  up,  it  must  be  reclaimed  and  restored,  viz. : 
the  common  right  of  all  believers  to  proclaim  the 
Gospel.  This  can  be  surrendered  only  with  dis- 
aster to  the  best  interests  both  of  the  Church  and 
of  the  world.  No  mistake  can  be  more  fatal — 
fatal  not  only  to  a  world's  evangelization  and  re- 
demption, but  to  the  service,  growth,  and  even 
spiritual  life  of  the  disciple  himself. 

Often  as  this  great  truth  has  been  wrested  from 
the  clutch  of  ecclesiasticism,  it  needs  to-day  again 
to  be  recovered  and  reasserted — proclaimed  as 
with  the  clarion  voice  of  the  Apocalyptic  Angel. 
Three  centuries,  and  nearly  four,  have  rolled  away 
since  the  lamp  of  the  Reformed  faith  lit  up  the 
darkness,  and  still  the  subtle  foe  of  Christian  mis- 
sions, both  at  home  and  abroad,  is  clericaHsm. 
The  bulk  of  church  members  find  their  strength  in 
sitting  still — ^it  is  only  the  few  to  whom  it  is  a 
necessary  part  of  a  Christian  hfe  to  bestir  them- 
selves, and  serve — to  give  alms  and  minister  to 
want  and  woe — to  teach  others  the  truth,  to  win 
others  for  Christ,  to  bear  a  dying  world  on  the 
heart,  and  by  prevailing  prayer  and  daily  testimony 
seek  by  all  means  to  save  some. 

This  witness,  which  is  thus  simple  and  universal, 
is  also  experimental;  and,  in  this  sense,  is  not,  after 
all,  either  so  simple  or  so  universal ;  for  it  demands 
knowledge,  not  that  of  the  schools,  but  of  the  school 
of  Christ — and  is  based  on  the  high  attainment  of 
experience.     It  is  because  so  few  knozn,  beyond 


THE    THOUGHT  OF  MISSIONS.  37 

doubt, — because  so  few  reach  to  the  certainties  of 
spiritual  things, — that  so  few  are  competent  to 
give  effective  testimony.  There  should  be  fixed 
firmly  in  our  minds  this  axiom  of  spiritual  life,  that 
experience  Iwiits  testifnofiy.  We  can  witness  only 
so  far  as  we  kno^u.  Settled  conviction,  intelligent 
and  immovable  faith,  however  narrow  its  bounds, 
is  indispensable  to  convincing  others  or  develop- 
ing faith  in  others.  Better — like  the  Wind  man 
whose  eyes  Jesus  opened — to  be  able  to  say,  "  One 
thing  I  know,"  than  to  be  half  confident  on  many 
things ;  for  it  is  only  the  certainty  of  assured  con- 
viction that  enables  us  to  convince. 

This  is  an  age  of  doubt,  and  not  only  so,  but  it 
is  an  age  when  it  is  fashionable  to  doubt.  It  is 
coming  to  be  a  mark  of  intellectual  aristocracy  to 
be  sceptical.  The  first  families  in  the  world  of 
intellect  have  adopted  a  new  coat  of  arms  ;  their 
escutcheon  is  a  shield,  bearing  an  interrogation 
point.  Faith  is  confounded  with  credulity.  The 
simple  confidence  of  a  child-hke  behever,  who 
takes  the  Bible  as  the  Word  of  God,  is  met  by  the 
learned  and  cultured  with  a  complacent  if  not 
compassionate  smile — and  the  Gospel  is  treated 
by  some  with  even  a  lofty  contempt,  as  though  it 
would  do  for  women  and  children  and  small  men, 
but  not  for  gixat  minds  and  highly  cultured  people. 

It  is  well  for  us  all  to  understand  that,  so  far 
as  doubt  invades  and  controls  our  Christian  life, 
our  witness  for  Christ  is  at  an  end.     There  may 


3^  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

be  a  formal  testimony,  but  it  is  soulless  and  pow- 
erless. The  world,  and  the  Church  too,  wait  for 
men  of  strong  conviction,  who  can,  upon  matters 
upon  which  others  are  uncertain,  say  ''I  know,'' 
and  can  give  an  answer  to  every  one  that  asketh 
a  reason  of  the  hope  that  is  in  them.  Emerson 
declared  that  we  need  positive  men,  not  negative 
men — affirmations,  positions;  not  denials,  nega- 
tions. Goethe,  with  a  despair  begotten  of  habitual 
doubt,  cries,  "  Give  us  your  convictions !  as  for 
doubts,  we  have  quite  enough  of  our  own."  And 
Mr.  Spurgeon  quaintly  adds :  "  It  may  be  a  great 
thing  to  doubt,  but  it  is  a  greater  thing  to  hold 
your  tongue  till  you  get  rid  of  your  doubts." 
Those  who,  in  this  sceptical  age,  are  sowing  the 
seeds  of  doubt,  may  do  well  to  consider  whether 
one  firm  conviction  of  truth  is  not  of  more  service 
to  mankind  than  a  thousand  denials,  or  questions, 
or  uncertainties. 

On  this  subject,  Rev.  Dr.  C.  F.  Deems  has 
given  young  men  a  wise  maxim :  "  Beheve  your 
behefs  and  doubt  your  doubts.  Never  make  the 
mistake  of  doubting  your  beliefs  and  believing 
your  doubts."  Faith  and  unfaith  are  both  sus- 
ceptible of  nurture,  of  culture.  He  who  presumes 
that  what  he  has  been  taught  to  believe  is,  for  that 
reason,  to  be  questioned ;  and  that  what  he  has 
been  led  to  question  is  therefore  unworthy  of  un- 
questioning confidence,  and  that  his  doubts  are 
more  trustwortliy  than  his  faiths,  will  find  him- 


THE    THOUGHT  OF  MISSIONS.  39 

self  drifting  away  from  all  the  moorings  of  truth 
and  duty, — on  an  open  sea,  where  clouds  hide 
the  stars  and  fogs  obscure  all  headlands ;  and 
where,  without  compass,  chart,  or  rudder,  he  is 
driving  on  bhndly  toward  the  utter  wreck  and 
ruin  of  all  rehgious  faith. 

Blessed  be  God  !  it  is  possible  to  know  God  and 
the  truth,  and  to  find  verity  and  reahty  even  in 
the  subtle,  elusive,  evasive  sphere  of  the  spiritual 
and  eternal.  There  is  an  unseen  world — and  we 
have  senses  more  subtle  than  the  five  physical 
senses — which,  being  exercised  to  discern  both 
good  and  evil,  become  keen-edged,  sharp-pointed, 
and  acutely  discriminating.  Reason,  which  sep- 
arates between  truth  and  falsehood ;  conscience, 
which  detects  the  right  and  the  wrong ;  sensibility, 
which  discriminates  between  the  attractive  and 
the  repulsive, — these  are  examples  of  these  subtler, 
liner  senses,  which  pertain  to  the  sphere  of  the 
unseen.  God  has  given  us  physical  senses  as 
media  of  communication  with  an  external,  material 
universe ;  and  so  He  has  given  us  these  more 
delicate  senses,  whereby  to  detect  truth,  right, 
beauty,  and  communicate  with  the  invisible  and 
the  eternal. 

Columbus  discovered  the  New  World  before 
he  saw  it.  By  the  testimony  of  ancient  writings, 
by  a  broad  and  clear  induction  from  many  facts, 
by  the  observations  of  other  navigators,  by  the 
calculations  of  his  own  science,  he  had  the  ^\\- 


40  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

dence  before  him  of  a  continent  not  seen  as  yet 
by  European  eyes.*  And  so  it  is  possible  by  ex- 
periment to  know  whom  we  have  beHeved,  and 
what  we  hold  as  true.  Even  God  needs  not  to 
be  "  unknown," — as  at  Athens.  We  may  "  taste 
and  see  "  that  He  is  good  ;  "  hear  and  know  "  the 
truth  ;  "  feel  after  "  and  "  find  "Him  who  is  not 
far  from  every  one  of  us,  "  handle  "  Him  in  the 
closet  and  "  see "  that  it  is  He  Himself.  The 
Bible,  referring  to  experiment  in  spiritual  things, 
thus  uses  terms  kindred  to  those  that  we  ordinarily 
apply  to  sense  perceptions,  and  applies  them  to 
spiritual  cognitions  and  recognitions. 

When  Professor  Morse,  the  electrician,  in  the 
closing  part  of  the  session  of  Congress  in  1842-3, 
sought  aid  to  the  extent  of  $30,000,  to  build  the 
experimental  line  of  telegraph  between  Baltimore 
and  Washington,  he  had  reached  the  last  days  of 
the  session  in  apparently  fruitless  and  hopeless 
endeavor,  and  was  preparing  for  his  return  home. 
The  committee  appointed  by  Congress  had  met, 
and,  after  a  morning's  discussion,  could  reach  no 
unanimous  conclusion.  During  the  recess,  how- 
ever, Mr.  Morse  had  taken  the  chairman  to  a  large 
room  in  the  hotel,  where  a  small  telegraphic  circuit 
was  erected.  Bidding  him  take  a  position  at  one 
end  of  the  room,  he  himself  went  to  the  other,  and 
for  an  hour  the  most  satisfactory  trial  was  made  of 
the  telegraph.     And,  when  the  committee  re-as- 

*  Exeter  Hall  Lectures,  1854-5. 


THE    THOUGHT  OF  MISSIONS.  4 1 

sembled,  the  chairman  said :  "  Gentlemen  of  the 
Committee — When  we  adjourned  this  morning 
you  were  equally  divided  as  to  the  expediency  of 
recommending  to  Congress  to  make  this  appropri- 
ation, and  it  fell  to  me  to  give  the  casting  vote. 
I  am  now  ready  to  give  my  emphatic  decision  in 
favor  of  the  appropriation,  for  I  have  both  sent 
and  received  messages  across  the  wires  !  " 

The  wires  are  up  between  this  world  and  the 
unseen ;  and  he  who  enters  into  his  closet,  and 
prays  to  the  Father  who  is  in  secret,  sends  to  the 
Throne  of  God  the  message  of  beheving  prayer, 
and  gets  back  the  answering  message  of  a  faithful 
God  !  He  can  give  his  emphatic  voice  and  vote 
for  the  reality  of  things  unseen,  for  he  has  come 
into  sympathetic,  personal  touch  with  God  Him- 
self. 

The  oratory  of  the  soul  is  also  its  observatory 
— the  place  of  observation  and  revelation  ;  and,  if 
there  were  more  constant  and  close  fellowship  with 
God,  there  would  be  more  knowledge  of  God  and 
more  capacity  for  witness.  Answered  prayer  is 
the  open  path  that  leads  to  knowledge  of  a  prayer- 
hearing  God.  Obedience  is  both  the  organ  of 
spiritual  perception  and  the  school  of  spiritual 
education ;  for,  "  if  any  man  will  do  his  will,  he 
shall  know  of  the  doctrine."  *  ''  To  love  God 
and  keep  His  words,  is  to  have  the  manifestation 
of  God  as  it  is  impossible  to  the  world."  t     It  is 

*  John  vii.  17.  f  John  xiv.  23. 


42  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

possible  to  walk  with  God  and  be  in  constant 
contact  with  Him.  Our  doubts,  instead  of  being 
our  glory,  are  our  shame — they  come  from  mind- 
ing earthly  things,  from  living  on  a  low  level,  and 
walking  according  to  the  course  of  this  world. 

This  witnessing,  being  thus  based  upon  experi- 
ment and  experience,  must  therefore  be  co7tfined  to 
believers. 

Two  words  we  have  already  found  to  be  con- 
spicuous in  the  Great  Commission, — "preach," 
and  "witness."  To  preach  is  to  proclaim  as  a 
herald  ;  to  witness  is  to  testify  from  personal  knowl- 
edge. The  two  widely  and  essentially  differ,  yet 
they  complement  each  other.  A  herald  is  only 
the  mouth  of  a  message;  a  witness  is  the  mouth  of 
an  experiefice.  The  public  crier  may  announce  or 
proclaim,  for  hire,  tidings  in  which  he  feels  no 
interest,  and  of  the  truth  of  which  he  has  no  knowl- 
edge. But  a  witness  can  speak  only  what  he 
knows  and  testify  only  what  he  has  seen,  heard, 
felt.  He  is  a  herald,  indeed,  and  a  herald  of  good 
tidings,  but  he  is  more — he  is  an  example  and 
proof  of  their  verity  and  value.  And  therefore 
only  a  behever  can  be  a  witness. 

The  Gospel  ministry  is  not  a  learned  profession 
into  which  men  may  go  at  their  own  option  or  at 
the  beck  of  avarice  or  ambition.  It  is  a  divine 
vocation,  to  which  men  are  called  by  the  voice  of 
an  Indwelhng  Spirit,  who  qualifies  them  to  bear 
wit7iess  for   God.     No  man,  however  gifted  or 


THE    THOUGHT  OF  MISSIONS.  43 

learned,  is  competent  to  preach,  except  so  far  as 
the  truth  he  proclaims  is  the  girdle  which  firmly 
and  closely  embraces  his  very  vitals  and  holds  in 
place  all  his  other  annor.*  In  countries  where 
there  is  an  Established  Church,  the  danger  always 
is  that  unconverted  men  will  find  their  way  into 
this  sacred  oflSce,  who,  as  Norman  McLeod  used 
to  say,  preach  the  truth — truth  which  is  the 
world's  hfe  and  which  stirs  the  angels, — but  too 
often  as  a  telegraphic  wire  transmits  the  most 
momentous  intelhgence  ;  and  who  grasp  that  truth, 
only  "  as  a  sparrow  grasps  the  wire  by  which  the 
message  is  conveyed."  Let  this  be  engraven  on  oiu" 
hearts :  that  no  human  being  is  prepared  to  pro- 
claim the  good  tidings,  unless,  and  except  so  far 
as,  those  tidings  have  become  to  him  or  to  her  the 
means  of  salvation  and  sanctification.  If  a  man 
could  combine  in  himself  the  intelhgence  of  a 
cherub  and  the  love  of  a  seraph,  he  could  not, 
even  then,  be  a  witness,  if  grace  had  not  trans- 
formed his  own  soul. 

Doubtless  the  angels  would  gladly  have  been 
the  bearers  of  these  good  news.  We  are  divinely 
told  how  they  stand  overawed  before  such  a  dis- 
play of  grace  to  sinners,  and,  as  from  the  verge 
of  some  unfathomable  abyss,  gazed  down  into  the 
depths  of  a  love  which  they  "  desire  to  look  into," 
but  cannot  explore.  And,  had  they  been  entrusted 
with  this  message,  on  what  joyful  wings  would 

*  Ephes.  vi.  14, 


44  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

their  legions  have  swept  round  the  world  trump- 
eting forth  the  blessed  news  !  It  would  not  have 
been  nineteen  centuries  before  even  one-third  of 
the  race  had  been  practically  reached  with  the 
Gospel.  But  there  was  one  fatal  deficiency  in 
angelic  preaching : 

"  Never  did  angels  taste  above 
Redeeming  Grace  and  dying  Love  ! " 

And  so  God  crowds  them  back,  and  thrusts 
forward,  into  the  coveted  place,  saved  sinners. 
The  poorest,  humblest,  most  unlettered  believer, 
who  has  known  penitence  and  faith,  can  do  a  work 
for  God  to  which  Gabriel  himself  would  be  un- 
equal. Thus  only  can  we  explain  the  fact  that, 
while  an  angel  hovers  about  the  chariot  of  the 
inquiring  Ethiopian,*  he  does  not  himself  speak 
to  the  eunuch,  but  bids  Philip  approach  and  guide 
him ;  and,  even  when  the  angel  appears  to  Cor- 
nehus  and  announces  to  him  God's  acceptance  of 
his  alms  and  his  prayers,  he  is  restrained  from  fur- 
ther announcing  to  him  the  words  of  life  and  sal- 
vation, and  significantly  says  :  "  Send  men  to  Joppa 
and  call  for  one  Simon,  whose  surname  is  Peter ; 
he  shall  tell  thee  words  whereby  thou  and  thy  house 
shall  be  saved."  f 

How  few  behevers  appreciate  this  great  truth, 
that  while  God  is  thus  pressing  upon  them  this 
solemn  duty  of  preaching  the  Gospel,  it  is  dipivi- 

*  Acts  viii.  26.  f  Acts  x.  1-5  ;  xi.  13,  14. 


THE    THOUGHT  OF  MISSIONS.  45 

lege  so  high  and  holy  as  to  be  coveted  by  angels ! 
An  archangel  himself  could  not  preach  the  Gospel 
as  you  or  I  can.  We  can  say,  I  was  a  lost  sinner, 
but  now  by  grace  I  am  saved — that,  no  angel  of 
any  rank  in  the  whole  hierarchy  can  say ;  and, 
because  God  will  have  witnesses  for  His  heralds, 
only  believers  are  admitted  to  this  privilege. 

But  there  is  quite  another  side  to  this  matter. 
If  beheving  disciples  are  essential  to  witnessing 
for  God,  witnessing  for  God  is  not  less  essential  to 
believing  souls.  In  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount, 
our  Lord  begins  by  a  graphic  portrait  of  a  true 
disciple — and  immediately  passes  from  character 
to  influence,  which  He  presents  in  two  simple 
famihar  figm-es :  "  Ye  are  the  salt  of  the  earth," 
"  Ye  are  the  light  of  the  world."  Salt  that  has  no 
savor  neither  savors  nor  saves ;  light  that  has  no 
ray  neither  shines  nor  bui'ns.  In  those  very  forms 
of  figm"e  our  Lord  is  saying  to  us  that  a  believer 
without  a  witness  is  worthless  as  savorless  salt,  or 
a  rayless  lamp.  We  must  get  beyond  the  con- 
ception of  service  to  God  as  a  mere  help  to  growth, 
— it  is  a  condition  of  life.  Salt  without  saltness  is 
no  longer  salt.  A  Hght  without  a  ray  is  no  longer 
a  light.  It  is  of  the  nature  of  the  Christian  life 
to  witness,  and,  when  there  is  no  witness,  is  it  too 
much  to  say,  that,  logically,  there  is  no  life  ? 

When  we  look  abroad  and  see  between  thirty 
and  forty  millions  of  professed  believers,  the  major 
part  of  whom  impart  no  godly  savor  to  season 


46  THE  DIVINE   ENTERPRISE. 

society,  and  bear  no  witness  to  the  power  of  a 
saving  Gospel  to  enlighten  the  world,  it  is  only 
judging  the  tree  by  its  fruit  to  say  of  such, 
"having  a  form  of  godliness,  but  denying  the 
power  thereof."  We  shall  never  reach  the  heart 
of  the  difficulty  in  our  foreign  missionary  work 
until,  by  sharp,  resolute,  fearless  thrusts  of  the 
sword  of  the  Spirit,  we  reach  the  consciences  of 
many  professing  Christians ;  and  dare  to  arouse 
them  from  a  self-complacent  apathy  and  lethargy 
by  a  bold  application  of  the  truth.  We  must  dare 
to  use  God's  own  touchstone  of  piety.  Down 
beneath  outward  ordinances  and  formalism  thou- 
sands of  church  members  are  living  a  life  essentially 
ungodly  and  unregenerate.  They  are  not  **  new 
creatures,"  in  whom  "old  things  have  passed 
away,  and  all  things  have  become  new."  There 
has  never  been  a  surrender  to  God  ;  the  will  is  un- 
subdued, the  heart  is  unchanged,  they  are  under 
the  dominion  of  the  flesh,  the  natural  man,  the 
carnal  mind.  Worldly  amusements  ensnare  them 
because  they  have  no  relish  for  higher  joys — they 
are  greedy  of  gain  because  they  know  nothing  of 
the  higher  gain  of  counting  all  things  loss  for 
Christ.  Their  names  are  on  church  rolls,  but  are 
they  on  the  Book  of  Life!  They  cannot  be 
depended  on  to  work  for  God,  or  even  to  give^ 
because  their  hearts  are  not  right  in  His  sight. 

Such  words  as  these  cannot  be  written  or  spoken 
without  giving  personal  anguish  to  one  who  is 


THE    r HOUGH T  OF  MISSIONS.  47 

compelled  to  utter  such  testimony.  But  let  us 
remember  Christ's  own  words  :  "  If  any  man  wil 
come  after  me,  let  him  deny  himself  and  take  up 
his  cross  daily  .and  follow  me."  Cross-bearing  is 
the  one  condition  and  sign  of  discipleship.  What 
is  cross-bearing?  In  nothing,  perhaps,  has  the 
tradition  of  men  more  made  void  the  Word  of  God 
than  in  the  common  popular  abuse  of  this  phrase. 
We  talk  of  "  crosses,"  Httle  and  great.  Every  trial 
of  our  patience,  every  vexation  of  daily  life,  every- 
thing that  crosses  our  inclination,  is  a  c7'oss.  We 
make  crosses  so  common  that  we  lose  sight  of  that 
unique  and  sublimely  solitary  self-offering  which 
our  Lord  meant  to  convey  by  the  phrase. 

Let  us  notice  that  the  word  cross  never  in  the 
Scripture  occurs  in  the  plural.  There  is  but  one 
cross :  it  is  the  cross  of  self-abnegation.  To  Christ 
the  cross  meant  one  thing,  and  nothing  less :  His 
sacrifice  of  Himself  to  save  others.  And  that  is 
what  it  must  mean  to  every  disciple.  To  take  up 
the  cross  and  bear  it  after  Christ  is  to  undertake, 
like  the  Master,  a  life  of  self-denial  for  the  saving 
of  others.  It  is  to  lose  life  and  lose  self  for  His 
sake.  It  is  to  be  willing  to  die,  if  need  be,  that 
others  may  live.  When  our  Lord  hung  upon  the 
cross  His  enemies  tauntingly  said :  "  He  saved 
others  :  Himself  He  cannot  save."  No  sneer  ever 
hid  a  truth  so  subhme.  In  the  Christian  life, 
saving  self  and  saving  others  are  utterly  incom- 
patible ;  and  the  one  great  difficulty  with  the  whole 


48  THE   DIVINE   ENTERPRISE, 

body  of  professed  disciples  is  that  most  of  them 
are  trying  to  save  themselves  and  yet  be  saved. 
And  so  it  comes  to  pass  that,  while  thousands  go 
to  church,  come  to  the  Lord's  table,  say  their 
prayers,  and  bear  the  name  of  Christ,  they  live  a 
life  essentially  worldly,  are  engaged  in  no  soul- 
saving  work,  and  have  no  relish  for  it ;  they  have 
no  experience  of  the  sweetness  of  a  voluntary  self- 
denial  for  His  sake,  and  spend  a  thousand  times 
as  much  on  self-indulgence  as  they  give  to  feed 
the  hungry,  clothe  the  naked,  or  even  give  the 
living  bread  to  dying  souls  ! 

Consider  what  would  be  the  immediate  result, 
if  every  professed  child  of  God  could  burn  with 
Paul's  passion  for  souls — could  know  the  "  great 
heaviness  and  continual  sorrow  of  heart "  for  the 
unsaved,  that  made  it  possible  for  him  to  wish 
himself  accursed  that  they  might  be  blessed  ! 

That  was  cross-bearing ;  he  died  daily,  he  was 
crucified  with  Christ,  he  bore  the  very  marks,  the 
GTtyfiara,  of  the  Lord  Jesus.  Could  ten  thousand, 
of  the  thirty  or  forty  milhons  of  professed  Protest- 
ant believers,  burn  with  such  a  Christ-like  passion 
for  souls  as  that,  for  one  year,  the  Gospel  would 
within  that  year  be  carried  round  the  globe ! 
But  arguments  and  appeals  are  vain,  while  you 
argue  with  the  deaf  and  appeal  to  the  dead. 
Before  the  Church  can  "  convert  the  world,"  the 
Church  must  be  converted.  The  remedy  for 
this   widespread    indifference    must   be    radical. 


THE    THOUGHT  OF  MISSIONS.  49 

The  difficulty  is  not  in  unsanctified  purses,  or  un- 
sanctified  cradles ;  it  is  deeper — in  unregenerate 
hearts.  "  By  their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them." 
If  you  have  no  witness  for  Christ,  have  you  any- 
thing to  witness  ? 

We  strike  here  the  very  bottom  of  this  divine 
philosophy  of  missions.  We  are  to  conceive  such 
witnessing  as  a  necessity  to  a  truly  saved  soul.  A 
hght  that  does  not  shine,  a  spring  that  does  not 
flow,  a  germ  that  does  not  grow,  is  not  more  an 
anomaly  or  a  contradiction  than  a  hfe  in  Christ 
which  does  not  witness  to  Christ.  "  We  cannot 
but  speak  the  things  which  we  have  seen  and 
heard,"  is  the  natural  utterance  of  every  behever 
whose  eyes  and  whose  ears  have  been  opened  to 
behold  the  charms  and  hear  the  voice  of  Jesus. 
He  who  has  thirsted  for  God  as  the  hart  panteth 
after  the  water-brooks,  who  has  known  the  gift  of 
God,  who  has  asked  of  Him  and  has  drunk  the 
living  water,  will  find  not  only  his  satisfied  soul 
thirsting  no  more,  but  he  will  find  the  water  of  life 
springing  up  within  him,  a  living  well.  And,  if 
there  be  a  spring  within,  there  will  flow  a  stream 
without.  "  He  that  beheveth  on  me,  as  the  Script- 
ure hath  said,  out  of  his  inward  being  shall  flow 
rivers  of  living  water."  If  therefore  there  be  no 
impulse  outward,  how  can  there  be  any  life  inward  ? 
If  there  be  no  stream,  is  there  any  spring  ?  if  no 
ray,  is  there  any  light  %  if  no  witness,  is  there  any 
experience!      These   are   serious   and   searching 


50  THE   DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

questions ;  and,  as  Christlieb  has  hinted,  that  dis- 
ciple who  has  no  testimony  for  Christ,  no  spirit  of 
missions,  is  rather  himself  the  subject  for  Gospel 
conquest,  presenting  in  himself  a  field  for  mission- 
ary labor.  He  who  has  no  passion  to  convert 
needs  conversion. 

This  is  God's  test  of  piety  :  "  If  any  man  have 
not  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  he  is  none  of  His."  If 
any  one  thing  marks,  above  all  else,  the  Spirit  of 
Christ,  it  is  the  unselfishness  of  service.  To  seek 
even  salvation,  for  its  own  sake  alone,  is  utterly 
repugnant  to  the  whole  disposition  of  a  thoroughly 
regenerate  disciple  who  is  recreated  in  the  image 
of  Jesus. 

In  the  Jerry  McAuley  Mission,  in  New  York 
City,  was  a  poor  victim  of  drink  and  of  vice  who 
bore  in  his  body  the  marks  of  his  crimes.  Nature 
herself  resented  his  violation  of  her  laws,  and 
avenged  herself  in  his  person.  He  had  become 
bowed  and  bent  until  he  was  a  mere  dwarf,  and 
the  very  fibres  and  tissues  of  his  throat  had  been 
eaten  away  until  there  was  no  palate,  tonsils,  or 
vocal  chord,  and  he  was  without  power  of  speech. 
When  Christ  found  him,  the  grace  that  healed  his 
soul  bore  help  to  his  body,  and,  in  course  of  time, 
the  dwarf  and  cripple,  like  the  woman  with  the 
spirit  of  infirmity  that  could  in  nowise  lift  up  her- 
self, was  made  straight  and  glorified  God.  And, 
though  the  lost  vocal  chords  were  never  restored, 
this  old  man  could  not  endure  to  be  without  his 


THE    rilOUGIIT   OF  MISSIONS.  51 

witness  to  restoring  grace ;  and,  night  after  night, 
the  assembled  thieves  and  drunkards  at  316  Water 
Street  would  behold  him  giving  his  testimony.  He 
would  first  bend  low  and  bow  down,  as  if  hope- 
lessly crippled  and  crooked,  and  then  raise  himself 
to  an  erect  posture,  stretch  himself  to  full  length 
and  Hft  his  hands  and  eyes  toward  heaven,  his 
face  lit  up  with  the  radiance  of  inward  peace  ;  and 
every  beholder  knew  what  all  this  meant.  ''  The 
lame  man  leaped  as  a  hart,  and  the  tongue  of  the 
dumb  "  sang  praise  unto  God.  It  was  his  witness 
in  pantomime.  If  he  could  not  testify  to  the  ear, 
he  must  to  the  eye.  The  saved  man  was  not 
content  to  have  unsaved  men  go  unwarned,  and 
the  saving  power  of  God  go  unwitnessed.  And 
the  superintendent  of  that  mission  says  that  no 
audible  testimony  was  more  effective  than  that 
visible  witness  to  Him  who  had  Hfted  the  cripple 
of  sin  into  the  erectness  of  a  saved  man. 

This  word  witness  has  in  it  a  whole  world  of 
suggestion  and  inspiration  touching  the  work  of 
missions.  It  outhnes,  in  one  word,  the  great  pur- 
pose of  our  Lord  in  connecting  His  saints  with  His 
service.  In  both  Testaments  it  is  one  of  the  prom- 
inent and  dominant  words.  Around  it  the  whole 
philosophy  of  missions  crystallizes  and  the  whole 
history  of  missions  centralizes. 

The  idea  of  such  a  witness  to  all  men  is  sug- 
gested in  the  Old  Testament,  Hke  many  other  Old 
Testament  truths — a  veiled  revelation  faintly  seen 


52  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

and  feebly  grasped  by  Old  Testament  saints.  It 
belongs  to  the  gradual  unfolding  of  that  missionary 
idea,  which  may  be  traced  hke  a  silver  rill  back  to 
its  spring  in  that  germinal  promise  that  the  seed  of 
the  woman  should  bruise  the  head  of  the  serpent. 
In  the  New  Testament  the  veil  is  withdrawn  and 
the  truth  clearly  revealed,  but  now  it  is  the  eyes  of 
disciples  themselves  which  are  blinded ;  even  Peter 
slowly  accepts  the  lesson  thrice  given  him  on  the 
house-top  at  Joppa,  that  no  man  was  to  be  called 
common  whom  God  had  cleansed.  But  in  all 
ages,  however  dim  the  vision  or  revelation  of  this 
truth,  witnessing  to  God  has  been  the  grand  duty 
and  privilege  of  disciples ;  and  from  the  martyr 
Abel  until  now  every  true  believer  has,  by  his  life 
and  death,  witnessed  to  men  the  power  of  faith. 
This  was  the  basis  of  apostohc  succession  and  of 
prophetic  succession — yes,  it  lies  beneath  priestly 
and  kingly  succession  as  well.  It  is  the  golden 
thread  which  binds  the  ages  together.  God  was 
the  first,  the  original  witness  to  Himself;  then 
He  committed  that  witness  to  prophets  as  He 
more  and  more  withdrew  Himself  into  the  secret 
place  ;  then  came  the  Last  Seer,  and  prophets  gave 
place  to  Him  in  whom  all  their  witness  terminated 
and  culminated,  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ ;  then  He 
became  God's  witness  ;  and,  when  He  was  received 
up  into  heaven,  the  Holy  Spirit  witnessed  to  Him, 
and  quahfied  saved  and  sanctified  disciples  to  bear 
witness,  and  so  carry  on  the  blessed  succession 


THE    THOUGHT  OF  MISSIONS.  53 

until  the  end  of  the  age, — one  chain  of  many  links 
reaching  from  a  Lost  Eden  to  a  Regained  Para- 
dise ! 

This  is  an  "  apostolic  succession "  indeed,  in 
which  the  goodly  fellowship  of  the  prophets,  the 
holy  company  of  the  apostles,  the  noble  army 
of  martyrs,  Jesus  Christ  Himself,  all  take  part,  with 
God  the  Father  of  all,  in  testimony  to  the  truth. 
It  may  well  be  doubted  whether  he  who  bears  no 
part  in  this  testimony  has  any  part  in  the  salvation. 
Would  that  every  reader  might  feel  the  full  force 
of  this  paradox  of  missions : 

**  Christ,  alone,  can  save  this  world  ; 
But  Christ  cannot  save  this  world,  alone." 

In  the  plan  of  God,  every  beHever  is  a  witness. 
In  the  wide  field  of  the  world,  every  disciple  is 
needed  as  a  workman.  Without  him,  God  cannot 
do  this  work,  unless  He  abandons  His  plan  !  The 
Church  must  be  aroused  to  this  great  truth  and 
fact,  that  both  Christ  and  the  world  are  waiting  for 
disciples,  as  such,  to  become  heralds  of  the  Gos- 
pel and  witnesses  to  Christ ;  that  a  few  thousand 
missionaries,  scattered  through  cities  and  states 
at  home  or  empires  abroad,  can  never  overtake 
the  awful  destitution  of  a  thousand  miUion  of  souls 
who  know  not  the  Gospel.  The  only  hope  of  the 
race  is  that,  as  in  apostoHc  times,  the  whole 
Church  shall  become  a  body  of  evangelists,  and 
every  converted  soul  consider  it  a  necessary  part 


54  THE   DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

of  discipleship  to  witness  to  all  men  that  Christ 
died  for  all. 

Christian  missions  originated  with  God.  The 
commission  of  the  Church  is  from  Heaven,  and 
can  be  wrought  out,  only  as  it  was  thought  out, 
along  the  Hues  and  within  the  limits  drawn  by  a 
hand  divine.  Here  there  is  no  room  for  human 
invention  or  innovation :  all  such  is  interference 
and  interruption  to  the  plans  of  God.  All  human 
accretions  forming  about  the  pure  thought  and 
plan  of  God, — like  fungus  growths  and  parasitic 
mosses  about  a  tree,  that  both  obscure  its  growth 
and  endanger  its  life, — need  to  be  torn  away  that 
we  may  look  again  upon  the  plan  of  God  in  its 
bare  simpHcity. 

Our  Lord's  chosen  definition  of  the  work  of  His 
Church  in  this  age,  hangs  on  this  same  Httle  word, 
witness :  *'  This  Gospel  must  first  be  preached  as 
a  witness  among  all  nations ;  *  and  then  shall  the 
end  come."  This  was,  first  and  last,  His  form  of 
statement.  The  very  terms  used  compel  the  in- 
ference that  not  only  is  this  work  to  be  carried  on 
to  the  very  end  of  the  age,  as  a  limit,  but  that  the 
end,  as  a  consummation,  somehow  waits  for  this 
as  a  preparation  and  preHminary.  This  we  believe 
— and  it  is  a  mighty  impulse  to  a  world's  evangeH- 
zation — that  neither  the  complete  salvation  of  the 
race  of  man  nor  of  the  Church  of  God  can  be 
reached  until  this  condition  is  fulfilled.  To  you 
*  Matt.  xxiv.  14;   Etc  f^aprvptov. 


THE    THOUGHT  OF  MISSIONS.  55 

and  me  it  belongs  to  *'  fill  up  that  which  is  behind 
of  the  afflictions  of  Christ,  in  our  flesh,  for  His 
body's  sake,  which  is  the  Church  " — and  so  com- 
plete, by  our  own  travail,  the  travail  of  His  soul ! 

The  Gospel  witness,  that  is  thus  simple  in  char- 
acter and  universal  in  obligation,  natural  and  nec- 
essary to  a  new-born  soul,  essential  to  the  plan  of 
God,  experimental,  and  therefore  effectual,  is  de- 
signed to  be  Siho  perpetual. 

If  the  Book  of  the  Acts  be  carefully  examined 
it  will  be  seen  to  be  the  one  incomplete  book  of  the 
Bible.  At  the  beginning  we  read — '*  The  fonner 
treatise  " — "  of  all  that  Jesus  began  both  to  do  and 
teach,  until  the  day  in  which  He  was  taken  up." 
These  words,  "former,"  "began,"  "until,"  imply 
something  going  before  in  the  Gospel  narrative,  and 
imply  that,  in  the  book  which  follows,  the  wTiter 
is  to  give  us  the  latter  treatise  of  all  that  Jesus 
conthmcd  to  do  and  teach  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  after 
that  He  was  taken  up.  And  so  the  Book  of  the 
Acts  implies  something  going  before  it. 

If  we  turn  to  the  close  of  the  book,  we  observe 
equally  plain  signs  of  something  to  come  after. 
"  And  Paul  dwelt  two  whole  years  in  his  own  hired 
house,  and  received  aU  that  came  in  unto  him, 
preaching  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  teaching  those 
things  which  concern  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  with 
all  confidence,  no  man  forbidding  him."  The 
Gospel  according  to  Matthew  ends  with  a  manifest 
conclusion,  that  leaves  nothing  to  be  added ;  the 


56  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE, 

Apocalypse  ends  with  a  special  injunction,  for- 
bidding any  addition  or  subtraction ;  but  here  the 
curtain  simply  falls  on  Paul,  teaching  and  preach- 
ing, without  even  bringing  to  a  close  the  scene  in 
which  he  last  appears.  And  the  reason  is  because 
this  book  is  the  Book  of  a  Witnessing  Church,  and 
that  book  never  will  be  closed  until  that  witness 
is  also  concluded ;  until  the  Gospel  is  borne  to  the 
uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  and  the  last  witness 
has  been  uttered,  and  beheved  or  rejected. 

Any  one  of  us,  any  believer  to  the  end  of  the 
age,  may  write  his  own  name  where  Paul's  now 
stands  and  fill  out  the  record  with  his  own  witness 
for  Christ.  Or,  if  he  be  too  humble  in  his  own 
esteem  to  venture  on  a  record,  there  is  Another 
who,  while  he  is  living  and  working  for  his  Master, 
is  writing  a  new  chapter  to  record  how  he  also 
passed  the  years  teaching  and  testifying  of  Christ 
and  of  the  grace  of  God. 

When  the  Bishop  of  Ripon  read  that  narrative 
of  John  WilHams'  labors  in  the  South  Seas,  he  laid 
it  down,  exclaiming,  "  There  is  the  Twenty-ninth 
chapter  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  !  "  Every  be- 
hever  has  only  to  take  his  place  among  God's  wit- 
nesses, and  in  his  generation  to  testify  to  all  men 
the  Gospel  of  His  grace,  to  be  admitted  to  a  place  in 
the  holy  company  of  the  apostles,  and  have  his  name 
and  life  history  recorded  in  that  unwritten  sequel  of 
the  Acts,  which  is  to  be  read  before  an  assembled 
universe  in  the  Day  when  the  Books  are  opened ! 


II. 

THE   DIVINE   PLAN   OF   MISSIONS. 


HEN,  on  the  site  of  Byzantium,  Constan- 
tine,  in  the  year  328  A.D.,  was  himself, 
in  person,  marking  out  the  boundary 
hne  for  the  proposed  city  of  Constantinople ;  and 
when  his  attention  was  called  to  the  vast  extent 
of  the  area  he  was  enclosing,  and  the  improbabihty 
that  the  City  of  the  Caesars  would  ever  occupy  it, 
he  calmly  answered :  "/  am  following  Him  who 
is  leading  meT 

The  Church  has  attempted  a  gigantic  task,  in 
extending  and  enlarging  the  place  of  her  tent  and 
stretching  her  canopy  over  a  world-wide  area. 
The  work  is  so  stupendous  that  it  has  inchned 
some  to  remonstrate,  and  even  to  ridicule.  But, 
be  it  ever  remembered,  that  in  so  doing  we  are 
"following  Him  who  is  leading"  us.  It  is  He 
who  has  bidden  us  "  Lengthen  our  cords  and 
strengthen  our  stakes."  No  task  can  be  too 
colossal  in  magnitude  if  He  plans  it  and  entrusts 
to  us  the  execution  of  what  is  really  His  plan. 
And  here  is  the  threefold  dependence  of  His  ser- 
vants :  the  plan^  the  promise^  and  the  providence 
of  God. 


58  THE   DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

The  idea,  or  thought  of  God  in  missions,  as  we 
have  akeady  seen,  is  this :  a  Gospel  message,  re- 
ceived by  faith  in  the  heart,  and  proclaimed,  by 
the  mouth  of  every  believer,  in  the  ear  of  every 
other  human  being. 

The  Plafi  of  God  is  akin  to  His  Thought;  but 
though  closely  related  to  it,  not  identical  with  it. 
The  English  word  "plan" — from  the  \dXm. pla7i2is, 
flat — originally  refers  to  a  representation  of  any 
object  or  conception  drawn  upon  a  flat  surface, 
like  the  map  of  a  country,  or  the  plan  of  a  build- 
ing. We  can  all  readily  distinguish,  in  our  own 
minds,  between  the  conception  of  a  cathedral,  as 
it  lay  in  the  brain  of  Brunelleschi,  and  the  draught 
of  Santa  Maria's  Cupola,  as  put  upon  paper. 
Now  God  has  an  idea  of  missions:  He  projects 
His  thought  upon  the  pages  of  His  Word,  and  still 
more  clearly  defines  it  by  the  pencil  of  History. 
His  idea  and  ideal  become  real  in  the  practical 
plane  of  action ;  and  that  is  His  Plan. 

The  importance  of  studying  and  understanding 
His  plan  cannot  be  overestimated.  The  late 
Prince  Albert  said  no  wiser  word  to  the  younger 
men  of  his  generation  than  this :  "  Find  out  the 
plan  of  God  in  your  day ;  and  then  beware  that 
you  do  not  cross  it,  but  fall  into  your  own  place 
in  that  plan."  Sydney  Smith  expressed  the  same 
thought  in  his  quaint  way,  when  he  compared  men 
to  pegs,  and  their  spheres  of  service  to  the  holes 
into  which  the  pegs  must  be  fitted. 


rilE   PLAN   OF  MISSIONS.  59 

Nothing  perhaps  is  more  fundamental  to  a  truly 
serviceable  life  than  to  know  what  God's  plan  is, 
and  knowing  it,  come  into  right  relations  to  it. 
When  His  mind  guides,  no  mistake  is  possible  ;  no 
failure  is  conceivable,  when  His  will  controls. 
Faber  writes  truly : 

"  He  always  wins  who  sides  with  God, 
To  Him  no  chance  is  lost." 

To  God's  chariots  two  celestial  chargers  are 
yoked :  Omniscience  and  Omnipotence ;  the  rim 
of  those  chariot  wheels  is  so  high  that  it  is  dread- 
ful, and  full  of  eyes  before  and  behind.  To  set 
oneself  against  God's  purpose  is  to  be  trampled  in 
pieces  under  the  feet  of  those  steeds,  and  ground 
to  powder  beneath  those  wheels ;  but  it  is  no  less 
certain  that,  to  work  for  and  with  God  is  to  be 
borne  along  irresistibly  toward  the  goal  of  con- 
summate victory  and  final  glory ! 

There  are  two  ways  of  finding  out  God's  plan, 
and  they  are  to  be  pursued  along  parallel  lines. 
One  is  to  study  His  Word^  and  the  other,  to  study 
His  work;  on  the  one  hand  to  search  the  Script- 
ures, and  on  the  other,  to  watch  that  march  of 
God  in  history  which  is  His  preceptive  teaching 
wrought  into  the  form  of  acts  and  facts.  "We  say 
these  two  methods  should  be  pursued  side  by  side, 
for  they  mutually  complement  and  correct  each 
other,  or,  rather,  our  understanding  of  both. 

In  addition  to  these,  we  need  also,  and  above 


6o  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

all,  a  receptive  itiind.  There  must  be  a  clear-seeing 
eye,  otherwise  in  vain  is  the  plainest  handwriting 
of  God  on  the  pages  of  the  Word  or  on  the  walls 
of  the  ages.  The  "  natural  man  "  does  not  receive 
the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  neither  can  he 
know  them,  for  they  are  spiritually  discerned ;  the 
"carnal  mind  is  enmity  against  God,  not  subject 
to  His  law,  neither  indeed  can  be  " :  so  far  there- 
fore as  we  search  the  Scripture  with  the  natural 
mind  only,  we  shall  not  see  His  plan ;  and,  so  far 
as  we  approach  it  with  the  carnal  mind  only,  we 
shall  not  obey^  even  if  we  perceive.  His  will. 

Scripture  and  history  are  the  two  books  of 
God  on  missions,  and  each  throws  light  upon  the 
pages  of  the  other ;  but  one  may  read  both  and 
still  be  as  blind  to  their  real  meaning  as  is  the 
Jew,  who  reads  the  prophecy  of  Messiah  without 
seeing  in  it  the  forecast  of  history,  and  reads  the 
history  of  Messiah  without  finding  in  it  the  fulfil- 
ment of  the  prophecy ! 

To  come  to  the  study  of  God's  plan  of  missions 
with  the  merely  natural  eye  as  the  organ  of  vision, 
or  the  merely  carnal  mind  as  the  organ  of  knowl- 
edge, is  to  see  double,  if  at  all.  Either  the  plan 
of  missions,  as  seen  in  the  Word,  will  be  modified 
and  distorted  by  our  defective  vision,  or  it  will 
seem  to  be  in  conflict  with  that  same  plan,  as  un- 
folded and  developed  in  history.  We  shall  either 
start  with  wrong  conceptions  and  so  misinterpret 
history ;  or  we  shall  start  with  correct  ideas  and 


THE   PLAN  OF  MISSIONS.  6i 

then,  misreading  history,  wander  in  a  maze  of 
confusion  and  perplexity,  misled  by  the  apparent 
failure  of  history  to  realize  the  ideal. 

We  may  therefore  lay  it  down  as  an  axiom  that 
any  supposed  plan  of  God  in  missions  which  is 
not  scriptural,  cannot  be  really  historic;  nor  can 
that  be  really  historic  which  is  not  scriptural.  In 
other  words,  the  true  plan  of  God  must  be  read 
by  these  two  guides.  If  we  get  the  right  focal 
centre,  it  will  be  seen  that,  like  the  twin  pictures 
in  the  stereoscope,  they  harmoniously  blend:  if 
they  do  not,  the  fault  is  not  in  their  disagreement, 
but  in  our  seeing. 

The  writer  may  be  permitted  to  address  the 
reader  personally  and  familiarly.  He  wishes  to 
be  honest  with  God,  his  readers,  and  himself. 
For  many  years  he  confesses  that  he  could  not 
bring  into  apparent  agreement  the  promises  and 
prophecies  of  God's  Word  as  to  missions,  and  the 
providence  of  God  in  human  history.  From  the 
lofty  summits  of  Holy  Scripture  there  was  an  in- 
spiring outlook,  a  prophetic  prospect,  which  lost 
all  its  reahty,  if  not  its  romance,  when  one  de- 
scended to  the  lower  level  of  actual  fact,  as  the 
purple  mantle  and  the  golden  veil  of  the  mountain 
lose  their  soft  enchantment  as  we  come  near 
enough  to  see  and  touch  the  bare,  bleak,  rugged 
crags  of  rock.  There  was  an  instinctive  conscious- 
ness that  the  conflict  was  only  apparent,  that  the 
difficulty  lay  in  my  own  vision :    either  I ,  read 


62  THE   DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

Scripture  wrongly  or  I  read  history  wrongly,  or 
both. 

There  was  but  one  way  out  of  the  maze  of  per- 
plexity :  to  retrace  steps  already  taken  and  begin 
anew,  to  lay  aside  as  far  as  possible  all  bias, 
whether  of  prepossession  or  prejudice,  and,  in  a 
prayerful  spirit,  humbly,  hke  a  little  child,  seek 
open,  unveiled  eyes  *  wherewith  to  read  the  Word 
and  will  of  God.  The  results  are  now,  in  brief, 
to  be  laid  before  the  readers  of  these  pages.  Is  it 
too  much  again  to  ask  that,  before  pronouncing 
hasty  judgment,  the  indulgent  reader  will  under- 
take to  get  at  the  truth  in  the  same  spirit  % 

Looking  first  at  God's  Word,  one  book  in  the 
Bible  seems  entitled  to  a  special  rank  as  God!s 
own  commentary  on  missions.  The  Acts  of  the 
Apostles  is  the  Missionary  Encyclopedia  of  the  Ages. 
Here,  if  anywhere,  will  be  found  in  full,  both  the 
Divine  idea  and  the  Divine  plan. 

This  book-  opens  with  the  repetition  of  the  Great 
Commission,  and  the  prediction  of  the  Great 
Anointing.  It  briefly  outlines  the  whole  scheme 
of  missions,  as  Giotto  drew  a  perfect  circle  at  one 
stroke :  ^^Ye  shall  be  witnesses  unto  me,  both  in 
Jerusalem  aiid  in  all  Judea;  and  in  Samaria,  and 
unto  the  uttermost  part  of  the  earths  t  Then  it 
proceeds  to  trace  the  history  of  the  witnessing 
Church,  through  the  first  age — the  hfetime  of  one 
generation — showing  how  God  went  before  to 
*  Ps.  cxix.  i8.  f  Acts  i.  8. 


THE  PLAN  OF  MISSIONS.  63 

Open  doors  of  access  wide  and  effectual,  and  how 
the  Church,  following  His  lead,  gave  her  witness, 
in  the  exact  order  which  our  Lord  had  indicated — 
in  Jerusalem,  in  all  Judea,  in  Samaria ;  then  in  the 
uttermost  part  of  the  earth,  Rome,  Greece,  and 
the  regions  beyond. 

Surely  this  is  no  accident.  The  New  Testa- 
ment opens  with  four  Gospel  narratives,  all  of 
which  end  with  the  great  commission,  presented 
in  foiur  various  aspects,  like  a  building  viewed 
from  as  many  sides.  Then  immediately  follows 
this  fifth  book,  in  which  God's  leadership  of  His 
witnessing  Church  by  His  providence  and  grace, 
during  one  entire  generation,  serves  this  double 
end :  first,  it  stands  as  a  permanent  illustration  of 
His  purpose,  and  of  the  duty  of  every  successive 
generation  of  beHevers  toward  those  who  at  the 
same  time  live  on  the  earth ;  and,  secondly,  it  fur- 
nishes us  a  practical  example  of  the  general  results 
which  we  are  to  expect  to  follow  faithful  witness. 
In  one  word,  this  book  is  the  typical  history  of 
the  first  age  of  missions ;  and  a  key  to  all  future 
ages  of  Church  history. 

The  Queen  of  Sheba  came  to  King  Solomon, 
*'  to  prove  him  with  hard  questions,  and  there  was 
not  one  thing  hid  from  her  which  he  told  her  not."  * 
Here,  in  this  book  of  the  Acts,  is  the  perpetual 
audience-chamber  of  the  Prince  of  Peace.  No 
perplexity  or  difficulty  has  ever  arisen,  or  will  ever 

*  I.  Kings  X.  1-3. 


64  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

arise,  in  the  missionary  work  of  the  Church,  for 
which  there  is  not  here  an  adequate  answer  and 
solution.  We  shall  therefore  reverently  inquire, 
first  of  all,  at  this  Holy  Oracle ;  and,  possibly, 
even  in  this  closing  decade  of  the  nineteenth  cent- 
ury, the  Church  may  find  something  yet  to  be 
learned  as  to  the  true  methods  and  principles  of 
missions. 

Seven  grand  features  are  here  plainly  marked  in 
God's  plan:  the  ruling  idea  and  word  is  still, 
WITNESS,  but  this  witnessing  is  qualified  by  certain 
definitions  and  limitations : 

I.  Its  Purpose :  the  evangelization  of  the  world. 

II.  Its  Result:  the  out-gathering  of  an  elect 
Church. 

III.  Its  Order :  to  the  Jew  first  and  then  to  the 
Gentile. 

IV.  Its  Scope :  a  whole  Church,  witnessing  to 
a  whole  world. 

V.  Its  Method :  a  division  of  the  field,  and  a 
distribution  of  the  force. 

VI.  Its  Stress :  service  rendered  to  the  existing 
;  generation. 

i      VII.  Its  Power:  essentially  superhuman  and 
^supernatural. 

Within  these  seven  landmarks  will  be  found 
comprised  the  whole  duty  of  the  Church,  with  all 
those  details  which  serve  for  her  complete  guidance 
in  carrying  out  the  great  commission. 

These  seven  features  it  is  our  design,  in  course 


THE  PLAN  OF  MISSIONS.  65 

of  these  chapters,  to  survey.  One  of  them,  the 
duty  of  the  whole  Church  to  witness  to  the  whole 
world,  has  been  already  touched  upon  in  the  pre- 
vious pages,  and  others  will  naturally  be  considered 
later  on.  But,  just  now,  we  may  confine  ourselves 
to  one  great  question  :  What  is  the  purpose  which 
God  has  in  view,  and  what  are  the  results  therefore 
which  we  are  warranted  in  expecting"? 

This  question  we  seek  to  answer  in  the  double 
light  of  the  Scripture  and  of  history.  We  find  it 
to  be  God's  declared  purpose  to  have  the  Gospel 
preached  throughout  the  worlds  and  thereby  to 
gather  out  from  the  world  a  believing  people,  the 
Church  or  Bride  of  Christ.  If  this  be  so,  then  our 
true  aim  is  divinely  defined,  and  our  reasonable 
hope  is  suggested,  which  need  not  be  disappointed. 

Our  Lord  Himself  defines  the  bou7ids  of  our 
work :  First  of  all,  the  purpose  of  this  world-wide 
witnessing  is  a  world  ^s  evangelization. 

It  behoves  us  carefully  to  notice  our  instruc- 
tions, for  they  not  only  define  our  duty,  but  they 
limit  our  responsibility.  In  some  matters  absolute 
accuracy  is  indispensable ;  as,  for  example,  in  as- 
tronomical calculations.  A  soldier  studies  his 
orders,  as  an  ambassador  his  instructions,  mi- 
nutely ;  and,  in  this  work  of  missions,  we  who  are 
both  soldiers  and  ambassadors  need  clear  concep- 
tions of  the  orders  and  instructions  of  our  King. 

If  we  closely  examine  the  entire  commission 
entrusted  to  the  Church  by  our  Lord,  we  shall  be 


66  THE   DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

struck  by  the  peculiar  words  which  he  used. 
"  Go  ye,"  ''  preach  the  Gospel,"  "  make  disciples," 
"  witness  "  ;  there  is  another  word,  properly  trans- 
lated "  teach^'  but  that  evidently  refers  to  an  after- 
training  of  those  who  have  been  first  evangelized 
and  made  disciples.  .  No  unbiased  reader  can 
examine  the  body  of  instructions,  given  to  the 
early  Church  by  the  Lord  Himself,  without  observ- 
ing that,  first  of  all,  He  meant  that  there  should 
be  a  simple  heralding  of  good  tidings^  accompanied 
by  personal  witness  to  their  truth  and  power,  and 
a  consequent  making  of  disciples  ;  and,  then,  that 
these  converts  should  be  gathered  into  chuixhes, 
baptized,  and  further  trained  in  fuller  knowledge 
of  divine  truth  and  preparation  for  service. 

To  confound  preaching  and  teaching,  evangeli- 
zation and  indoctrination,  is  a  mistake  that  is 
fundamental  and  initial.  The  didactic  process  is 
secondary  and  subordinate.  Men  are  asleep — 
dead  in  sin:  they  must  be  aroused,  awakened, 
quickened.  When  a  house  is  on  fire,  a  ship  is  on 
a  rock,  a  pestilence  is  raging,  or  an  avalanche  is 
falhng,  one  does  not  wait  to  give  minute  instruc- 
tions, but  peals  out  the  trumpet  note,  *'  Escape 
for  thy  Hfe  !  "  So  our  Lord  saw  this  world,  lying 
in  sin,  and  its  milHons  going  down  to  the  death 
of  the  grave  and  the  second  death  of  hell  with 
fearful  rapidity ;  and  He  urged  a  correspondingly 
rapid  proclamation  of  the  Gospel.  He  urged  on 
His  heralds — He  bade  them  not  wait  for  others  to 


THE  PLAN  OF  MISSIONS.  67 

come  to  them,  but  "go  "  to  every  creature — sweep 
round  the  globe  and  trumpet  forth  the  warning 
and  the  invitation  until  "  every  creature  "  shall 
have  heard. 

Nor  are  we  anywhere  taught  to  wait  for  i-estdts. 
These  we  cannot  command  or  control.  Noah, 
the  ancient  preacher  of  righteousness,  preached 
for  a  century — preached  an  illustrated  sermon,  in 
which  the  Ark  was  his  grand  object  lesson,  and 
every  hammer's  blow  punctuated  and  emphasized 
his  appeal ;  yet  he  made  not  one  convert,  and 
was  compelled  to  see  the  whole  world  of  the  un- 
godly sink,  lost  in  the  angry  flood  of  wrath. 
Isaiah,  the  Messianic  minstrel,  sung  in  twenty- 
seven  chapters  the  epic  and  lyric  of  the  suffering 
Saviour ;  yet  he  cried,  "  Lord,  who  hath  believed 
our  report,  and  to  whom  hath  the  arm  of  the  Lord 
been  revealed  !  "  And  the  Son  of  God  Himself, 
w^ho  spake  as  never  man  spake,  and  wTOUght  as 
never  man  wrought,  found  His  words  of  grace  used 
as  traps  and  snares  for  His  feet,  and  His  works  of 
love  attributed  to  the  agency  of  the  devil.  The 
disciple  is  not  above  his  Master  nor  the  servant 
above  his  Lord;  and  there  has  not  been  one 
preacher  of  Christ  in  all  the  ages  whose  witness 
has  not  been  met  by  more  rejectors  than  behevers. 
We  are  both  to  look  for  and  pray  for  results,  but 
we  are  not  to  gauge  oiu:  fidelity  or  our  success,  or 
our  Master's  approval  by  the  number  of  converts  ; 
nor  is  the  herald  to  wait  in  any  one  field  until 


6S  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE, 

conversion  has  done  its  work,  before  he  goes  to 
the  regions  beyond.  The  danger  is  common  to 
all ;  Death  and  Hell  are  mounted  on  their  awful 
steeds,  and  are  hotly  pursuing  the  whole  host  of 
mankind:  if  those  whom  we  warn  will  not  hear 
and  heed,  perhaps  others  will;  and,  in  any  case, 
we  owe  to  all  the  same  privilege  and  opportunity 
of  hearing  and  heeding.  With  all  possible  haste 
should  the  Church  push  her  heralds  on  to  the  very 
limits  of  the  globe.  Without  an  hour's  delay,  for 
any  cause,  on  any  pretext,  save  only  to  receive 
power  from  above,  should  we  who  believe  urge 
on  this  holy  crusade  for  God  until  every  living 
soul  has  heard  of  Christ.  This  Gospel  of  the 
Kingdom  must  first  be  preached  among  all  nations 
as  a  witness — and  "then  shall  the  end  come." 
Whether  these  words  refer  to  the  end  of  the  Jewish 
age,  in  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  or  to  the  end 
of  the  Gospel  age,  in  the  second  advent  of  the  Son 
of  Man,  or  to  both,  there  is  here  indicated  a  vital 
relation  which  the  general  proclamation  of  the 
Gospel  bears  to  the  consummation  of  God's  plan. 
He  is  working  toward  an  end,  and  that  end  is  con- 
ditioned upon  this  world-wide  evangelism.  God 
told  Lot  that  He  could  not  do  anything  in  judg- 
ment upon  Sodom  until  he  should  come  to  Zoar. 
The  announcement  of  the  Gospel,  among  all 
nations  and  to  every  creature,  is  the  Zoar  to 
which  the  Church  of  God  must  come,  before 
those  grand  events  move  to  their  consummation 


THE  PLAN  OF  MISSIONS.  69 

which  at  once  bring  judgment  to  sinners  and  sal- 
vation to  saints. 

Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  "preaching  the 
Gospel  as  a  witness "  is  our  Lord's  own  chosen 
definition  of  the  work  to  be  done,  this  phrase  has 
met  vigorous  and  violent  opposition,  and  been 
pelted  with  the  blows  of  ridicule  as  the  sum  of  all 
absurdities.  And  yet,  from  first  to  last,  this  is 
His  form  of  statement,  ahke  before  His  death  and 
on  the  eve  of  His  ascension.* 

Is  "  witnessing,"  then,  so  superficial,  artificial  a 
process,  that  we  are  to  picture  to  ourselves  some 
flying  courier,  galloping  on  horseback  through 
village  after  village,  announcing  the  good  news, 
and  then  hastening  away  elsewhere?  To  bear 
testimony  unto  all  nations  is  no  such  short,  hasty, 
inadequate  proclamation  of  the  Gospel  message. 
However  important  the  mere  work  of  the  herald, 
other  forms  of  testimony  are  needful  to  confirm, 
corroborate,  establish  this  witness.  The  conver- 
sion of  souls,  which  witnesses  that  this  Gospel  is 
the  power  of  God  unto  salvation  ;  the  out-gathering 
of  converts  from  the  world  and  their  in-gathering 
into  the  Church,  which  witnesses  both  against  the 
world,  by  separation,  and  unto  God,  by  consecra- 
tion ;  the  erection  of  the  Christian  home,  which 
witnesses  to  what  Christ  can  do,  not  for  man  only, 
but  for  woman  and  children,  making  the  wife 
man's  equal  companion,  instead  of  his  slave  and 

*  Matt.  xxiv.  14  ;  Acts  i.  8. 


70  THE   DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

victim,  and  the  mother  the  radiant  centre  of  a 
happy  household;  the  setting  up  of  Christian 
school,  college,  printing  press  and  medical  mission 
— these  trees  of  life  whose  fruit  is  food  and  whose 
leaves  are  healing ;  the  whole  array  of  Christian 
institutions  which  are  the  peculiar  product  of  the 
faith  which  works  by  love — all  these  belong  to 
that  "  witness "  for  Christ  which  helps  one  to 
judge  whether  indeed  •'  He  is  able  to  save  to  the 
uttermost  all  who  come  unto  God  by  Him."  This 
is  the  testimony  which  vindicates  His  claim  to 
universal  homage  and  world-wide  dominion.  We 
believe  the  work  of  witnessing  in  all  the  world  will 
not  be  complete  until,  in  every  nation,  the  contrast 
between  the  teaching  and  practice  of  the  true 
faith  and  of  all  false  faiths  shall  thus  be  made  to 
appear,  somewhat  as  the  Kho-Thah-Byu  Memorial 
Hall  in  Burmah  confronts  the  Schway  Mote  Tau 
Pagoda  on  an  opposing  hill,  a  witness  to  Christ 
that  boldly  faces  and  challenges  that  forsaken 
fane  of  idolatry,  as  though  to  assert  and  maintain 
the  Supreme  right  of  Jesus  to  worship  and  service. 
We  are  not  jealous  for  any  human  theory,  nor 
are  we  warring  about  words.  But  something  is 
wrong.  Our  Lord,  more  than  eighteen  and  a  half 
centuries  ago,  urged  an  immediate  and  world-wide 
proclamation  of  the  Gospel  to  every  creature; 
and  yet,  in  this  closing  decade  of  this  nineteenth 
century,  at  least  one-half  of  the  population  of  this 
globe  remain  as  entirely  strangers  even  to  \\it  fact 


THE  PLAN  OF  MISSIONS.  71 

that  Jesus  died  for  them,  as  though  they  were 
inhabitants  of  another  planet !  We  have  been 
going  about  this  work  leisurely — we  have  gone  to 
nations  here  and  there,  set  up  the  cross  as  a  rally- 
ing point,  sought  to  convert  the  nations  and 
subdue  whole  empires  for  Christ.  We  have  waited 
to  complete  this  work,  while  the  regions  beyond 
have  remained  in  the  unbroken  shadow  of  death. 
All  this  seems,  in  some  respects,  directly  opposed 
to  our  Lord's  orders. 

Often  as  we  hear  in  these  days  of  the  "  conver- 
sion of  nations,"  and  the  '' converstion  of  the 
world,"  we  shall  in  vain  seek  any  Scriptural  war- 
rant for  such  phrases  or  such  hopes.  More  than 
this,  we  need  not  be  left  either  to  doubt  or 
conjecture,  for  God  has  revealed  His  purpose 
concerning  His  kingdom.  It  is  to  grow,  not  by 
assimilation  and  incorporation  of  worldly  elements, 
but  by  their  separation  and  displacement.  That 
was  an  all-comprehensive  saying  of  our  Lord  to 
Pilate :  "  My  ki?igdom  is  not  of  this  worlds  It 
is  not  to  be  built  of  earthly  materials,  sustained 
by  human  patronage,  defended  by  worldly  power, 
extended  by  carnal  weapons.  The  strongholds 
of  Satan  are  to  be  captured,  not  that  they  may  be 
converted  into  the  fortresses  of  faith,  but  that  they 
may  be  ''  cast  down  and  destroyed." 

Let  us  understand  this  sublime  truth :  God 
disdains  to  use  for  His  holy  ends  even  the  *'  high 
towers,  that  exalt  themselves  against  the  knowl- 


72  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

edge  of  Christ."  The  turrets  of  an  insolent  and 
blasphemous  infideHty  or  a  defiant  idolatry  are 
never  to  be  turned  into  spires  for  God's  cathedral 
of  the  ages.  Those  who  imagine  that  this  world 
is  to  be  gradually  assimilated  to  God,  until  what  is 
now  earthly  and  carnal  society  shall  be  embodied 
in  the  Christian  state,  should  carefully  study,  for 
example,  the  second  chapter  of  Daniel.  The 
image  which  Nebuchadnezzar  beheld  is  the  object 
lesson  from  which  we  are  to  learn  out  of  what 
material  God  will  build  His  kingdom  which  shall 
have  no  end.  That  head  of  massive  gold  sur- 
mounted arms  and  breast  of  silver,  belly  and  thighs 
of  brass,  and  feet  of  iron  and  clay.  A  stone,  cut 
out  the  mountain  without  hands,  smites  the  image 
of  world-empire  upon  its  brittle  feet;  then  that 
stone  moves  and  grinds  like  a  millstone,  and,  with 
resistless  force  and  weight,  it  crumbles  and  crushes 
that  entire  image  into  powder.  Mark  the  emphasis 
of  detail :  "  then  was  the  iron,  the  clay,  the  brass, 
the  silver,  and  the  gold  broken  to  pieces  together 
and  became  like  the  chaff  of  the  summer  threshing- 
floors  ;  and  the  wind  carried  them  away,  that  no 
place  was  found  for  them:  and  the  stone  that 
smote  the  image  became  a  great  mountain  and 
filled  the  whole  earth  !  "  * 

Words  could  not  teach  more  plainly  these  two 
truths:  first,  that  all  these  world  kingdoms  are 
alike  doomed  to  fall;   for  that   Kingdom  "shall 

*  Daniel  ii,  35. 


THE  PLAN  OF  MISSIONS.  73 

break  in  pieces  and  consume  all  these  kingdoms  "  ; 
and  secondly,  that  God  shall  alike  reject  the  clay, 
the  iron,  the  brass,  and  even  the  silver  and  the 
gold  ;  they  are  to  be  broken  in  pieces  together  and 
swept  away  as  worthless  chaff  before  the  wind. 
From  worst  to  best,  this  material  offers  nothing 
worthy  to  enter  into  the  composition  of  that  Eter- 
nal Kingdom,  just  as  our  flesh  and  blood,  however 
comparatively  fair  and  faultelss,  cannot  enter  into 
the  structure  of  that  resurrection  body,  which  is 
of  the  nature  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 

King  Solomon's  "  drinking  vessels,  and  all  the 
vessels  of  the  House  of  the  Forest  of  Lebanon, 
were  of  pure  gold — none  were  of  silver ;  for  silver 
was  nothing  accounted  of  in  the  days  of  Solo- 
mon." *  In  the  imperial  splendor  of  his  revenue 
and  riches,  ''  he  made  silver  to  be  in  Jerusalem  as 
stones  for  abundance  "  ;  and  he  disdained  to  use 
such  common  metal  even  for  his  vessels,  as  the 
Phoenician  sailors  are  said  to  have  found  silver  in 
such  plenty  in  Spain  that  they  made  their  anchors 
and  common  implements  of  it.  This  was  a  type 
of  greater  things  to  come,  when  the  Prince  of 
Peace  sets  up  His  kingdom,  and  when  even  gold 
shall  be  only  as  the  paving  of  streets.  Everything 
is  to  be  on  a  scale  of  such  celestial  magnificence 
and  munificence,  that  no  earthly  material,  however 
choice,  shall  be  worthy  to  enter  into  that  structure. 
The  New  Jerusalem  is  not  to  be  made  out  of  this 

*  I.  Kings  X.  21-27. 


74  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE, 

world's  best  elements  ;  but  "  let  down  out  of  heaven 
from  my  God" — and  only  colossal  pearls  can 
represent  its  gates,  and  precious  stones,  burning 
with  imprisoned  fire,  its  walls. 

When  God  sets  up  His  kingdom,  it  is  ''  a  stone 
cut  out  without  hands "  and  growing  of  itself ; 
instead  of  co7?ibmation  we  have  comimni{tio7i;  for, 
in  comparision  with  the  elements  out  of  which  that 
imperial  state  is  to  be  built,  the  best  this  world  can 
offer  is  but  chaff. 

Must  we  not  reconstruct  oui*  conception  of  the 
kingdom  v/hich  is  to  come  ?  When  God  sets  up 
His  kingdom  in  a  human  heart,  it  is  by  no  recon- 
struction of  the  old  man,  but  by  the  introduction 
of  the  "  new  man  which  after  God  is  created  in 
righteousness  and  true  holiness  "  ;  and  the  growth 
of  the  new  crowds  out  the  old,  somewhat  as  the 
farmer,  by  the  patient  culture  of  grain,  displaces 
weeds  and  thistles.  "  If  any  man  be  in  Christ  he 
is  a  new  creation :  old  things  are  passed  away ;  all 
things  are  become  new."  He  learns  the  expansive, 
expulsive,  explosive  power  of  a  new  affection,  that 
drives  out  every  lower  love  or  lust.  So  when 
God's  kingdom  fills  this  earth,  evil  will  be  over- 
come with  good. 

We  lay  stress  on  this,  simply  to  maintain  a 
Scriptural  principle.  So  long  as  we  labor  or  hope 
for  a  Christianizing  and  spiritualizing  of  the  king- 
doms of  this  world,  our  work  is  in  vain  and  our 
hope  is  without  fruition.     Whatever  assimilation 


THE   FLAN   OF  MISSIONS.  75 

there  may  be,  it  is  external,  superficial,  deceptive ; 
it  will  never  become  transformation.  That  very 
closeness  of  contact  between  the  Church  and  the 
world,  by  which  the  Church  seeks  to  penetrate  and 
permeate  the  world  with  godliness,  endangers  the 
Church-life,  while  seeking  to  transform  the  world- 
life.  The  mystery  of  cndosmosis  and  exostnosis 
reappears  in  the  spiritual  realm.  Currents  flow  both 
ways :  the  Church  does  permeate  the  world  and 
make  it  more  churchly,  and  outwardly,  perhaps, 
more  godly ;  but,  by  the  same  intimate  contact,  the 
world  permeates  the  Church,  and  makes  it  more 
worldly  and  even  ungodly,  till  neither  remains 
what  it  was  and  still  would  be  in  separation.  In- 
stead of  what  is  decidedly  "  hot "  and  decidedly 
''  cold,"  there  is  what  is  "  neither  hot  nor  cold,  but 
lukewarm  " — and  it  is  that  which  God  hates.  "/ 
would  thou  luert  cold  or  hot  I  " 

The  law  of  separation  is  written,  as  in  huge 
capitals,  all  over  the  Word  of  God,  inscribed  as  in 
flaming  letters  upon  the  altars  of  tabernacle  and 
temple,  typified  in  the  separation  of  clean  and 
unclean  in  the  Levitical  law,*  and  then  whispered 
from  Calvary  with  a  still  small  voice  as  impressively 
and  imperatively  as  when  thundered  from  Sinai's 
summit :  "  Come  out  from  among  them  and  be  ye 
separate,  and  touch  not  the  unclean,"  etc. 

The  stress  of  God's  own  Word  upon  separation 
impresses  us  as  heavier,  according  as  we  ourselves 

*  Levit.  XX.  24-26;  II.  Cor.  vi.  17. 


76  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

become  more  imbued  with  the  spirit  of  Scripture 
and  the  mind  of  Christ.  The  Chmxh  runs  no  risk 
to-day,  whether  in  the  sphere  of  holy  hving  or  of 
mission  work,  so  great  as  that  found  in  the  un- 
scriptural  notion  that  the  world  is  to  be  won  by 
courting  it;  that  the  severe  standard  of  godhness 
is  to  be  let  down  lower,  that  so  worldly  souls  may 
the  more  easily  step  over  into  the  Church.  In 
this  there  has  been  alarming  success,  and  the 
success  is  itself  awful  disaster.  Our  churches  are 
largely  made  up  of  two  classes,  the  wholly  worldly 
and  the  worldly  holy.  The  notions  and  maxims, 
treasures  and  pleasures,  pursuits  and  policy — nay, 
the  very  spirit  of  the  world — have  found  in  the 
sanctuary  of  God  their  shrine  and  throne.  Men 
who  do  not  even  confess  Christ  as  Saviour  and 
Lord,  sit  upon  boards  of  trustees,  and  control  the 
affairs  of  God's  House.  Godless  musicians  preside 
at  the  key-board  of  the  instrument  whose  melodies 
and  harmonies  should  accord  with  the  harps  and 
lutes  of  glorified  saints  and  angels ;  star  singers 
from  the  opera  are  hired  to  displace  the  praise  of 
the  people  of  God  by  a  concert  display  of  a  few 
artists.  The  ministry  is  degraded  from  a  divine 
vocation  to  a  learned  profession,  whose  requisite 
is  culture,  and  whose  perquisite  is  whatever  price 
it  can  command.  Churches  rival  each  other  in 
garniture  and  furniture,  costly  architecture,  and 
often  costlier  debts  and  mortgages ;  the  cross  be- 
comes the  badge  of  a  religious  club  whose  exclu- 


THE  PLAN  OF  MISSIONS.  77 

sive,  expensive  privileges  demand  an  elect,  select 
membership.  Pure,  simple  Gospel  preaching  gives 
way  to  intellectual  essays,  poetic  effusions,  moral 
lectures,  or  political  harangues ;  while  prayer-meet- 
ings languish  or  are  turned  into  entertaining  talks 
or  chui'ch  ''  conversazioni." 

The  result  is  that  missionary  effort  either  ceases, 
or  begets  missionary  converts  on  a  level  with  the 
home  churches.  And  if,  in  such  churches,  there 
be  no  flaming  zeal  for  evangehsm,  it  is  neither 
strange  nor  to  be  much  lamented,  since  it  is  doubt- 
ful whether  such  a  type  of  piety  has  much  diffusive 
tendency,  or  whether  it  is  even  desirable  exten- 
sively to  diffuse  such  a  type  of  piety,  even  if  we 
could.  The  higher  the  type  of  piety  maintained 
by  Christian  disciples,  the  more  rapid  will  be  its 
diffusion  and  the  more  will  such  diffusion  be  an 
extension  of  the  Kingdom  of  God,  and  not  of  a 
secularized  Christianity. 

When  we  hear  so  much  about  ^^co7iverthig  na- 
tions,^' the  careful  student  of  Scripture  cannot  but 
ask.  Do  the  Scriptures  warrant  any  such  hope? 
What  is  a  nation  but  an  aggregation  of  individuals 
under  one  government!  It  has  no  corporate 
existence  or  personality — no  mind  to  be  convinced, 
no  heart  to  be  renewed,  no  conscience  to  be 
aroused,  no  will  to  be  subjected.  How  any  '^7ia- 
tion  "  can  be  Christianized,  apart  from  the  individ- 
uals composing  it,  it  is  hard  to  see.  But  if,  as 
such,   a  nation,   by   pubUc   official   act,  accepts 


78  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

Christianity,  acknowledges  the  Bible  as  the  law 
of  the  land,  the  Sabbath  as  a  sacred  day  of  rest, 
protects  pubHc  worship,  and  even  estabhshes  the 
Church  as  national,  while  some  advantages  may 
follow,  is  there  not  a  peril  involved,  far  greater 
than  any  danger  from  open  opposition  or  malignant 
persecution  % 

How  soon  and  how  surely  th^form  of  godHness 
takes  the  place  of  Xht power  I  Political  preferment 
beckons  worldly  men  into  the  Church,  To  be  a 
disciple  comes  to  be  in  the  fashion ;  it  is  the  way 
of  the  majority,  which  is  always  fraught  with  risk. 
The  law  of  self-denial  gives  place  to  the  habit  of 
self-indulgence.  Piety  is  the  best  poHcy,  and 
heavenly  principles  are  weighed  in  the  brazen 
scales  of  earthly  expediency.  We  dare  to  say 
that,  through  the  whole  Christian  era,  no  nation 
has  ever,  as  such,  become  nominally  Christian, 
without  introducing  into  the  Church  marked,  mani- 
fest, and  rapid  spiritual  decHne.  And  this  fact  is 
both  so  conspicuous  and  so  significant  that  we 
need  only  to  adduce  a  few  historical  examples,  for 
the  sake  of  the  lesson  which  they  teach  us  as  to 
modern  missions. 

When  Paul  sent  from  Rome  the  salutations  of 
the  saints,  "Chiefiy  those  of  CcBsar's  household^''  he 
did  not  know  that,  in  that  greeting,  a  shadow,  no 
larger  than  a  man's  hand,  appeared  on  the  horizon 
of  Church  life  that  was  soon  to  overspread  with 
dense  clouds  the  whole  heaven.     Three  centuries 


THE  PLAN  OF  MISSIONS.  79 

passed  by,  and  in  the  year  310  A.D.,  the  head  oi 
Caesar's  household,  himself,  in  camp  near  Mentz, 
claimed  to  see  a  flaming  cross  in  the  sky,  with  the 
motto :  Ev  rovTG),  viKa  !  and  thenceforth,  on  the 
shields  of  Roman  soldiers  and  the  banners  of  the 
Empire,  that  symbol  shone. 

To  the  early  Church  the  red  hand  of  persecution 
brought  no  calamity  comparable  with  the  so-called 
"  Christianizing  of  the  Roman  Empire."  The 
bloody  cross  of  the  Ten  Persecutions  was  infinitely 
more  a  blessing  than  the  golden  cross  of  Royal 
Patronage. 

The  disciples  of  Christ  found  via  Crucis,  the 
way  of  self-sacrifice,  changed  to  via  Lucis,  the 
way  of  self-indulgence ;  and  via  Dolorosa^  where 
they  bore  the  cross  after  Jesus,  changed  to  via 
Gloriosa^  where  they  wore  a  crown  with  an  earthly 
sovereign.  To  confess  Christ  was  now  to  bid  for 
place  and  power ;  the  millennium  had  come ;  in 
the  person  of  Constantine,  the  King  of  kings  had 
mounted  the  throne  of  the  world,  and  in  the  new 
capital,  on  the  shores  of  the  Bosphorus,  was  the 
realization  of  the  New  Jerusalem  !  No  more  the 
little  assembly  of  disciples,  with  doors  closed 
against  the  world,  but  with  Jesus  within ;  no  more 
the  Church  of  the  Catacombs,  hiding  from  pur- 
suing foes  in  the  bowels  of  earth ;  no  more  a  band 
of  pilgrims,  strangers,  sojourners,  taking  joyfully 
the  spoiHng  of  their  goods  for  the  sake  of  that 
better  country  with  their  enduring  substance ! 


8o  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

Henceforth,  a  court  whose  splendor  outshone 
those  of  Oriental  princes ;  a  hierarchy  of  officials 
which  to  this  day  remains  the  model  of  the  most 
extravagant,  elaborate,  and  voluptuous  courts  of 
Europe.  To  Constantine  are  traced  the  very  titles^ 
which  in  these  modern  skies  of  empire  shine  thick 
as  stars — "  excellency,"  ''  right  honorable,"  *'  seren- 
ity," "duke,"  "count,"  "viscount."  Enormous 
outlay,  vast  standing  armies,  gorgeous  temples  and 
elaborate  ritual,  became  the  features  of  the  Chris- 
tian State.  To  this  day  the  Church  of  Christ  has 
never  recovered  from  that  deadly  blow  at  her  very 
life !  A  nation  was  converted  indeed,  but  the 
Church  was  perverted.  Petrifaction — the  loss  of 
godly  sensibility,  and  putrifaction — the  loss  of 
godly  savor,  now  marked  the  so-called  "  Body  of 
Christ."  The  Roman  Empire  was  transformed 
into  a  Christian  state,  but  the  true  Republic  of 
God,  the  Commonwealth  of  Christ,  was  deformed, 
and,  not  until  a  thousand  years  after,  was  it  re- 
formed. 

See  how  history  is  a  commentary  on  the  Word 
of  God.  Mark  how  He,  whose  hand  is  behind 
the  shifting  scenery  of  the  drama  of  the  ages,  is 
teaching  us  what  peril  there  is  in  the  close  alliance, 
or  even  contact,  between  His  kingdom  and  the 
kingdoms  of  this  world.  To  turn  the  household  of 
God  into  the  Court  of  Empire,  means  to  exchange, 
for  the  Bride  of  Christ,  leaning  on  her  Beloved, 
the  Scarlet  Woman,  seated  on  the  beast  and  from 


THE  PLAN  OF  MISSIONS.  8i 

him  deriving  power  and  authority  !  The  conver- 
sion of  a  nation  seems  a  goal  of  hope  toward  which 
the  passionate  ardor  of  faith  reaches ;  it  is  in  fact 
an  illusive  vision,  a  dream  of  a  misguided  fancy, 
that  draws  the  Church  away  from  her  simple  work 
of  witnessing,  to  follow  a  deceptive  and  even 
dangerous  expectation. 

Modern  history  furnishes  another  example  of  the 
*' conversion  of  a  nation."  On  March  31,  1820, 
the  brig  Thaddcus  anchored  off  Hawaii,  with  the 
first  missionaries  of  the  American  Board.  God 
had  gone  before  them,  and,  instead  of  a  long.,  hard 
fight  with  the  bloody  altars  and  human  sacrifices 
of  Paganism,  they  found  that  superstition  had 
already  struck  down  her  own  idols,  and  abolished 
the  Tabu  and  priesthood  throughout  the  islands.* 
Ten  months  before,  Kamehameha  I.  had  died; 
and,  strange  to  say,  he  forbade  human  sacrifices, 
whether,  during  his  illness,  for  his  recovery,  or, 
after  his  death,  in  his  honor ;  and  thus,  before  the 
viissionaries  landed^  a  professed  idolater  had  dealt 
the  first  blow  at  idolatry.  The  High  Priest,  resign- 
ing his  office,  first  apphed  the  torch  to  the  fanes 
of  a  pagan  faith.  Idols  came  under  the  ban  of 
law  and  temples  were  reduced  to  ashes.  For  the 
first  time  in  history,  a  nation  had  flung  away  a  false 
faith  without  a  new  one  to  replace  it,  and  was 
without  a  rehgion.  The  first  convert  was  the 
king's  mother,  Keopuolani,  and,  at  the  close  of 

*  Anderson.     Hawaiian  Is,  p.  49. 


82  THE   DIVINE  ENTERPRISE, 

1825,  Kaahumanu,  the  Regent,  and  nine  chiefs, 
became  members  of  the  Chiu'ch  of  Christ,  after- 
ward dying  in  the  faith.  Within  six  years  after 
the  missionaries  landed,  schools  covered  the  islands, 
with  400  teachers  and  25,000  pupils. 

As  early  as  1825,  the  Spirit  of  God  moved 
powerfully  on  the  hearts  of  the  Hawaiians. 
About  fifty  families  in  Lahaina  began  to  pray,  and 
the  number  grew.  Inquirers,  and  then  converts, 
flocked  like  doves  to  the  churches ;  and,  in  ten 
years  more,  the  American  Board  thought  the 
beginning  of  the  end  of  its  missionary  work  in  the 
^Hawaiian  Islands  had  been  reached. 

To  completely  Christianize  this  group  of  islands, 
they  here  largely  concentrated  their  working  force, 
sending  in  1836  thirty-two  additional  laborers. 
Scarcely  had  these  new  laborers  come,  when  a 
tidal  wave  of  revival  swept  over  the  islands  and 
bore  away  on  its  crest  all  remaining  traces  of  idols 
and  their  fanes.  Three  years  more,  and  the  Word 
of  God  was  given  to  the  people  in  their  own 
tongue;  another  three  years  and  the  professing 
disciples  numbered  20,000.  Mr.  Coan,  alone, 
admitted  5,000  in  one  year,  and  1,700  in  one  day. 
And  in  1863,  less  than  fifty  years  after  these  labors 
began  in  the  Pacific,  the  Hawaiian  churches  took 
their  place  among  self-governing,  self-supporting, 
and  self-propagating  chiu-ches  of  Christendom. 
The  marvels  of  the  Apostolic  age  seemed  to  have 
been  reproduced  after  a  lapse  of  eighteen  centuries. 


THE  PLAN  OF  MISSIONS.  83 

This  nation,  thus  Christianized  within  half  a 
century,  was  boldly  held  up  before  the  Church  as 
a  "glorious  exempHfication  and  proof  of  the  power 
of  the  Gospel  in  missions,  for  the  encouragement 
of  the  Church  of  God  in  its  efforts  for  the  con- 
version of  the  world."  * 

That  the  work  here  done  was,  and  still  is,  one 
of  the  most  marvellous  triumphs  of  the  Gospel  in 
all  modem  times,  the  writer  of  these  pages  would 
be  the  last  to  deny :  but  here  stands  another  warn- 
ing to  us  of  the  illusiveness  and  deceptiveness  of 
any  hope  of  converting  nations  or  converting  the 
world,  within  the  bounds  of  this  Gospel  age.  If 
we  trace  the  subsequent  history  of  the  Sandwich 
Islands,  we  shall  find  the  story  of  the  Christianized 
Empire  of  the  Caesars,  repeated  on  a  minor  scale, 
but  teaching  the  same  lesson. 

Rev.  James  Bicknell  and  others  have  been  con- 
strained to  publish  tracts,  revealing  the  present  low 
condition  of  religious  hfe  on  the  Hawaiian  Group  ; 
and,  in  crossing  the  Atlantic  in  1888,  the  writer 
came  into  contact  with  an  intelligent  and  prominent 
Christian  gentleman,  residing  on  the  islands,  who 
more  than  confirmed  Mr.  Bicknell's  statements. 
He  reluctantly  conceded  the  existence  of  the  Hoo- 
manamana  idolatry.  For  a  long  time  these  idola- 
trous customs  have  been  concealed,  Kaahumanu, 
herself  both  a  convert  and  Christian  teacher,  re- 
pressed them  by  edicts  ;  and  the  desire  of  the  peo- 
*  Anderson.     Hawaiian  Is.  p.  25. 


84  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

pie  to  be  respected  by  other  Christian  peoples,  and 
the  fear  of  being  ridiculed  with  the  opprobrious 
name  of  "  pagans,"  acted  as  additional  restraints. 
Those  addicted  to  practical  heathenism  were  kept 
from  public  avowal ;  but,  behind  this  show  of  Chris- 
tian forms,  hid  a  fetich-worship  alarmingly  com- 
mon. The  small  pebble — Kaue  O  Kapohakaa — 
the  wooden  fetich,  Kailaipahoa — ^beheved  to  have 
power  to  destroy  life  at  bidding  of  its  possessor — 
and  the  counter-charm,  Kauila,  also  of  wood,  with 
many  others,  each  of  which  stands  for  a  god,  may 
be  found  worn  on  the  person  even  of  professed 
disciples !  The  king  himself  boldly  stands  forth 
as  an  idolater,  and  is  suspected  of  a  design  to  take 
the  headship  of  a  fetich  system.  So  says  Mr. 
Bicknell. 

In  a  palace-room  lies  a  copy  of  David  Malo's 
"  History  of  Hawaii,"  with  the  legends,  traditions, 
and  superstitions  of  the  islands.  Before  reading, 
seven  circuits  are  made  around  the  sacred  table  ; 
then  the  book  is  reverently  opened,  and  the  cred- 
ulous High  Priest  of  this  royal  Sanctum  beheves 
himself  in  converse  with  the  gods.  This  book 
furnishes  the  basis  of  the  present  system  of  Hale- 
naua,  or  the  ''  House  of  Wisdom."  That  house 
has  three  divisions,  embracing  those  devoted  to 
astrology,  chirography,  etc. ;  and  four  orders  of 
Kahunas,  who  respectively  practice  medicine,  in- 
cantation, fatal  imprecation,  and  represent  divine 
power.     And  these  Kahunas  preface  their  idola- 


THE  PLAN  OF  MISSIONS.  85 

trous  incantations  with  texts  of  Scripture  !  There 
are,  of  course,  different  classes  of  adherents  of  this 
system  :  some  who  are  actuolly  worshippers,  others 
who  have  imbibed  the  idolatrous  spirit,  and  others 
who  propitiate  heroes — all  known  by  different 
names. 

The  pulpit  of  these  islands  has  not  hitherto 
pubhcly  exposed  and  denounced  these  idolatries, 
says  Mr.  Bicknell,  and  many  professed  behevers 
think  this  fetich-worship  harmless.  But  it  is 
another  example  of  a  people,  fearing  Jehovah  and 
serving  their  own  gods.  They  read  their  fetichism 
into  Old  Testament  narratives  and  New  Testament 
miracles ;  and  even  when  death  approaches,  with 
its  august  exchange  of  worlds,  they  turn  for  rehef 
to  the  Kahunas  and  their  false  gods.  From  the 
time  of  Kamehameha  V.  idolatry  has  advanced 
and  Christianity  declined. 

Of  course,  the  mission  work  done  on  these 
islands  is  not  a  failure,  nor  are  its  results  such  as 
should  dishearten  any  true  believer.  Everywhere 
the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  has  met  the  same 
obstacles ;  in  Christian  Britain  and  America  we 
have  the  same,  external  lump  of  dough,  with  the 
same  subtle  leaven  of  worldliness  and  wickedness 
permeating  and  penetrating  the  whole  three  meas- 
ures of  meal.  And  so  it  will  be  until  He  comes 
whose  New  Epiphany  is  to  smite  the  Man  of  Sin 
and  put  the  chains  upon  Satan. 

On  Christmas  morning,  18 14,  the  devoted  Sam- 


86  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

uel  Marsden  preached  in  New  Zealand,  and  for 
the  first  time  told  the  natives  the  story  of  Christ 
and  His  cross.  After  a  dozen  years,  a  rehgious 
enthusiasm  kindled  its  strange  fires  among  the 
people;  the  schools  and  sanctuaries  were  filled 
and  thousands  asked  to  be  admitted  into  the 
churches ;  and  the  very  hfe  of  the  people  seemed 
to  be  undergoing  transformation.  In  1 842,  twenty- 
eight  years  after  Marsden  first  announced  those 
"  tidings  of  great  joy,"  Bishop  Selwyn  took  charge 
of  his  new  diocese,  and  he  enthusiastically  wrote 
home,  "We  see  here  a  whole  natio?t  of  pagans 
converted  to  the  faith."  These  words  glow  with 
the  fires  of  a  sacred  passion  for  the  souls  of  men, 
and  we  do  not  doubt  that  of  the  5,000  church 
members,  there  were  hundreds  who,  as  the  good 
bishop  said,  exhibited  "signal  manifestations  of 
the  presence  of  the  Spirit,  and  were  living  evidences 
of  the  kingdom  of  Christ."  But  the  phrase,  "  a 
whole  nation  converted,"  then  as  now,  became  a 
deceptive  golden  veil,  hiding  the  truth.  The  vast 
bulk  of  those  100,000  people  were  yet  living  in 
sin.  The  last  instance  of  cannibalism  was  in  1 843  ; 
XhQpahs,  or  fortified  villages,  have  given  place  to 
unguarded  homes  and  farm-houses;  barbarous 
tribal  wars  have  quite  ceased,  and  the  sea  fights, 
which  were  like  ocean  storms,  have  yielded  to  the 
potent  voice  which  stills  even  the  deep.  But  the 
bishop's  enthusiastic  report  only  prepared  the  way 
for  bitter  disappointment  and  morbid  discourage- 


THE  PLAN  OF  MISSIONS.  87 

ment  by  encouraging  the  illusive  hope  that  the 
nation  was  converted.  After  this  glowing  descrip- 
tion had  kindled  the  fervor  and  ardor  of  his  fellow- 
countrymen  to  a  confident  expectation  that  in  this 
manner  the  whole  world  was  about  to  yield  before 
the  Gospel,  it  was  found  that  this  "converted 
nation  "  had  only  changed  the  form  and  complex- 
ion of  its  ungodliness  ;  nay,  to  use  Luther's  phrase, 
had  scarcely  ''washed  the  dirt  from  its  face." 
European  vices  had  taken  the  place  of  the  vices 
of  savagery ;  beneath  the  garb  of  civihzation  hid 
an  unchanged  nature :  and  two  years  later  serious 
wars  again  broke  out,  nor  was  peace  restored  until 
1848.  The  severe  earthquake  which  followed  was 
a  type  of  volcanic  fires  which  had  only  been 
slumbering,  but  were  not  dead.  And  although, 
in  1850,  Canterbury  province  was  settled  on  the 
basis  of  EngHsh  ecclesiastical  and  aristocratical 
principles,  with  bishop,  priests,  lords,  and  baronets, 
— as  the  province  of  Otago  had  been  two  years  be- 
fore settled  by  the  Free-churchmen  of  Scotland, — 
ten  years  later,  in  1 860-1,  among  these  converted 
Maoris  the  new  rehgion,  the  Pai  Afarire,  was 
propagated  by  a  body  of  natives  called  Hati-Haus^ 
who  pretended  to  the  miraculous  gifts  of  tongues 
and  of  prophecy ;  hundreds  who  did  not  resume 
their  old  heathenism,  at  least  renounced  their 
Christianity ;  with  some  the  tomahawk  and  war- 
paint again  took  the  place  of  the  decent  dress  and 
pious  prayer-book  of  the  convert ;  and  even  those 


88  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE, 

who  retained  the  externals  of  Christianity  at- 
tempted to  combine  as  they  pleased  the  practices 
and  doctrines  of  Christianity  and  heathenism. 
The  Mabris,  in  their  unconverted  state,  had  a 
ceremony  which  was  a  sort  of  baptism  known  as 
rohi^  or  irilri;  and  the  consternation  of  the  mission- 
aries may  be  imagined  when,  within  twenty  years 
after  Bishop  Selwyn  had  pronounced  this  a  con- 
verted nation,  thousands  of  men  who  had  been 
baptized  into  Christ,  but  had  not  put  on  Christ, 
were  in  one  day  baptized  out  of  Christianity  back 
again  into  heathenism  !  * 

Nothing  can  be  farther  from  the  thought  of  a 
true  advocate  of  missions  than  to  behttle  the 
triumphs  of  the  Gospel  or  dishearten  the  heart  of 
any  hopeful  disciple.  But,  if  we  would  avoid  and 
avert  a  disappointment  which  is  almost  suicidal  to 
Christian  effort,  we  must  hold  up  before  ourselves 
and  others  no  unscriptural  expectation.  In  every 
community  where  the  Gospel  has  been  preached, 
however  grand  its  triumphs,  it  still  remains  true, 
from  the  days  of  Paul  at  Rome  until  the  days  of 
that  modem  Paul,  the  saintly  Duff,  at  Calcutta, 
that  *'  some  "  there  have  been  "  who  believed  not."t 
If  we  do  our  work  of  witnessing,  expecting  nothing 
more  than  the  Scriptures  warrant,  we  shall  not  be 
so  liable  and  likely  to  give  up  in  despair  when 
only  the  common  discouragements  of  all  Christian 
work  confront  and  baffle  us. 
*  Hodder's  Conquests  of  the  Cross,  i.  35.  f  Acts  xxviii.  24. 


THE  PLAN  OF  MISSIONS.  89 

The  warning  notes  which  these  modern  exam- 
ples peal  out  are  louder  and  more  startling,  be- 
cause God's  trumpet  sounds  at  our  very  ears,  and 
not  at  the  remote  distance  of  ages.  He  warns  us 
against  a  vain  and  misleading  attempt  io  Christian- 
ize men  in  masses  and  by  the  wholesale.  Our  work 
is  with  individuals,  even  as  our  message  is  to  and 
for  every  creature.  One  by  one  men  are  born  into 
the  family  of  God.  In  the  natural  world,  as  the 
scale  of  being  ascends,  there  is  a  strange  decrease 
in  the  number  of  offspring  at  a  birth.  Among  the 
lowest  forms  of  life,  the  fertility  is  overwhelming 
— milHons  in  a  day.  But,  as  the  grade  of  life  rises, 
the  number  of  progeny  falls,  until  we  reach  the 
race  of  man,  where  even  a  twin  birth  is  so  rare  as 
to  be  exceptional.  Each  human  soul  bears  the 
stamp  of  a  priceless  worth,  being  coined  in  God's 
mint,  one  at  a  time.  Every  man  may  look  upon 
himself  as  an  individual  bought  by  the  blood  of 
Christ,  and  say,  "  He  loved  ?ne  and  gave  Himself 
for  me^ 

The  great  snare  of  our  day  is  the  mad  passion 
for  numbers.  The  Diana  of  the  modern  Ephesians 
is  the  statistical  table,  and  many  are  the  makers 
and  venders  of  these  shrines  of  our  great  goddess. 
We  have  fallen  upon  a  mathematical  age.  To 
report  so  many  converts  in  one  year,  or  boast  so 
many  accessions  at  one  communion,  is  the  devil's 
bait  to  catch  the  superficial  winner  of  souls.  We 
measure  the  prosperity  of  our  churches,  not  by  the 


90  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE, 

spiritual  strength  of  the  members,  but  by  the  nu- 
merical length  of  the  roll,  and  some  ministers  lack 
courage  to  purge  the  roll  of  unworthy  and  even 
unknown  and  deceased  members,  lest  it  seem  Hke 
a  mark  of  waning  prestige  and  declining  popularity. 
Evangelists  are  too  often  caught  in  the  same  snare 
of  numbers,  and  continually  tempted  to  parade 
mere  numerical  results  as  a  test  of  success,  and  so 
hundreds  are  counted  as  converts  who  rapidly 
relapse  into  their  old  hfe,  while  hundreds  of  others, 
swept  into  the  Church  on  the  crest  of  a  revival 
wave,  are  as  surely  borne  back  when  that  wave 
recedes.  This  insane  clamor  for  "  numbering  the 
people  "  is  one  of  the  main  foes  to  missions.  As 
in  David's  case,  it  leads  to  spiritual  famine,  pes- 
tilence, or  defeat — and  sometimes  to  all  three. 
There  was  a  year  in  the  little  church  in  Blantyre, 
Scotland,  when  but  one  convert  was  welcomed  to 
the  Lord's  Table ;  but  that  lad  was  David  Living- 
stone. Converts  are  to  be  weighed,  not  counted. 
One  Cihcian  Saul  is  worth  ten  thousand  Hke  the  Sa- 
maritan Simon.  Not  how  many,  but  how  much,  is 
the  question.  When  he  who  seeks  souls  is  content 
with  one  at  a  time,  and  content  even  then  only  as 
that  one  is  completely  transformed  by  the  power 
of  the  new  Hfe  into  a  new  man,  we  shall  have  a 
new  era  of  Church  history  and  a  new  epoch  of 
missions.  In  this  age,  at  least,  God's  kingdom  is 
to  come  in  the  individual  soul,  by  the  slow  annex- 
ation of  the  little  territory  won  by  grace  within 


THE   PLAN  OF  MISSIONS.  91 

that  little  world,  a  human  heart :  the  kingdom  of 
God  comes  not  with  observation. 

There  are  some  who  seem  niore  concerned 
about  getting  everybody  into  heaven  than  about 
making  anybody  fit  for  heaven.  In  God's  eyes  it 
is  of  far  more  consequence  that  the  Heavenly  City 
should  be  clean  than  that  it  should  be  crowded. 
And  we  must  learn,  in  our  work  for  souls,  that 
salvation  is  measured  more  by  the  depth  to  which 
it  penetrates  than  by  the  surface  over  which  it 
spreads ;  and  that  it  is  for  duty,  not  for  results, 
that  we  are  to  be  held  accountable. 

All  eyes  now  turn  to  Japan,  the  Island  Empire, 
in  which  the  rapid  and  remarkable  changes  of  ten 
years  have  left  ''nothing  as  it  was  before,  save 
the  natural  scenery  "  ;  and  where  even  missionaries 
have  led  us  to  hope  that  another  decade  will  find 
the  "  Sunrise  Kingdom  "  taking  her  place  among 
acknowledged  Christian  nations.  But  just  what, 
and  how  much,  would  that  mean  ?  England  and 
the  United  States  are  leading  Christian  nations. 
Does  God's  sceptre  sway  our  Congress  and  Britain's 
Parliament  ?  What  atrocious  iniquities,  and  even 
idolatries,  have  these  foremost  "  Christian  nations  " 
both  practiced  and  promoted  !  See  the  great  re- 
pubhc,  holding  in  bonds  4,000,000  slaves,  till  God's 
hammer  of  War  struck  off  their  fetters  !  Think  of 
such  *'  Christian  nations "  flooding  Africa  with 
rivers  of  rum  !  of  the  land  which  sent  Carey  to  the 
Indies,  forcing  opium  upon  China  even  at  the 


92  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

cannon's  mouth,  and  setting  a  premium  upon  lust, 
in  Hindostan ! 

What  does  ''  Christianizing  a  nation  "  mean  % 
If  it  be  anything  short  of  the  transformation  of 
the  individuals  that  make  up  the  nation,  it  is  dis- 
aster. It  is  the  mixing  up  of  a  profession  of  piety 
with  political  trickery ;  it  is  clothing  abominable 
abuses  with  the  sanction  of  rehgion  ;  it  is  substitut- 
ing popularity  for  purity,  and  the  loud  voice  of 
the  majority  for  the  still  small  voice  of  the  Spirit 
of  God.  The  "witness"  of  the  Chmxh  before 
the  world  implies  not  only  separation,  but  antag- 
onism, not  amalgamation  and  assimilation.  Strange 
to  say,  the  way  to  win  the  worldly  to  Christ  is  not 
by  courting  them,  but  by  making  them  hate  us  for 
our  likeness  to  God  and  our  unlikeness  to  them- 
selves. To  come  to  their  broken  cisterns  keeps 
them  from  coming  to  the  Living  Fountains. 

Conscious  that,  in  presenting  these  views,  the 
writer  represents  a  small  minority,  he  takes  courage 
both  from  the  depth  of  his  own  conviction,  that 
this  is  God's  truth,  and  from  the  remembrance 
that,  historically,  the  truth  has  never  yet  been  on 
the  side  of  the  majority.  Both  God's  word  and 
God's  working,  even  in  this,  the  missionary  age, 
teach  us  that  during  the  present  dispensation,  our 
watchword  is  evangelization.  We  are  not  to  look 
for  a  world's  conversion,  which,  after  all  these 
centuries,  seems  perhaps  no  nearer  than  at  the 
accession  of  Constantine.     We  are  to  evafigelize 


THE  PLAN  OF  MISSIONS.  93 

the  world,  and  if  the  result  proves  to  be,  not  the 
world's  conversion,  but  the  out-gathering  of  the 
Churchy  the  eKKXrjaia,  the  called-out  assembly,  the 
Bride  of  Christ,  is  it  not  exactly  the  Scriptural 
goal  of  this  age  ?  This  is  the  only  hope,  warranted 
either  by  the  Scripture  or  the  history  of  missions, 
and  therefore  it  is  the  only  hope  not  possible  to 
be  disappointed.  To  some  behevers,  this  truth  is 
so  clear  that  it  is  a  marvel  that  any  reader  of  the 
Word  or  observer  of  history  can  doubt.  In  Acts 
XV.  15,  the  Apostle  James  in  inspired  words  out- 
lined^  at  that  first  Church  council^  the  whole  plan 
of  the  Divine  Architect  and  Builder,  and  furnished 
a  key  to  all  evangelical  history  and  a  kind  of  min- 
iature chart  of  the  whole  missionary  age. 

*'  Simeon  hath  declared  how  God  at  the 

FIRST  DID  VISIT  THE  GeNTILES  TO  TAKE  OUT 
OF  THEM  A  PEOPLE  FOR  HiS  NAME.  AnD  TO 
THIS  AGREE  THE  WORDS  OF  THE  PROPHETS,  AS 
IT  IS  WRITTEN  :  '  AfTER  THIS  I  WILL  RETURN 
AND     WILL     BUILD     AGAIN     THE     TABERNACLE     OF 

David  which  is    fallen  down  ;    and   I  will 

BUILD  AGAIN  THE  RUINS  THEREOF,  AND  I  WILL 
SET    IT    up;    THAT    THE    RESIDUE    OF    MEN    MIGHT 

SEEK  THE  Lord  and  all  the  Gentiles  upon 

WHOM  MY  NAME  IS  CALLED,  SAITH  THE  LORD 
WHO     DOETH     ALL     THESE     THINGS.'  "        And     the 

apostle  significantly  adds,  as  though  to  assure  dis- 
heartened disciples  that  God's  plans  steadily 
advance  toward  completion, — ^'  known  unto  God 


94  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

are  all  His  works  from  the  begiiming  of  the 
world. ^^ 

Here  is  plainly  an  election  and  out-gathering  of 
the  Church  from  the  world.  The  discerning  stu- 
dent of  the  Bible  and  Biblical  history  sees  a  mani- 
fest progress  in  the  dispensations,  but  this  elective 
principle  is  always  present. 

In  that  former  age,  the  Jewish,  an  elect  nation^ 
was  called  out  to  guard  an  elect  truth,  the  unity 
of  God,  and  to  forecast,  in  type  and  rite,  the 
advent  of  His  dear  Son.  During  that  age,  the 
body  of  believers  was  mainly  confined  to  one 
nation,  and  the  Holy  Spirit's  chrism  was  bestowed 
on  elect  individuals,  such  as  prophets,  priests,  and 
kings.  Then  came  this  latter  age,  the  Christian, 
when  an  elect  Churchy  gathered  out  of  every  nation, 
is  called  out  from  the  world,  to  proclaim  a  uni- 
versal Gospel  for  the  whole  world,  and  in  the  elect 
body  of  Christ  to  incorporate  all  believers.  And, 
now  that  the  Son  of  God  has  come,  just  as  the 
altar  of  burnt  offering  in  the  Jewish  age  pointed 
back  to  the  fall,  and  forward  to  the  cross,  so  the 
Lord's  Table  witnesses  backward  to  His  advent, 
and  forward,  to  His  second  coming.  "As  oft  as 
ye  eat  this  bread  and  drink  this  cup,  ye  do  show 
the  Lord's  death  till  He  come." 

As,  in  this  age,  there  is  a  widening  of  the  elect 
body  to  embrace  converts  from  all  nations,  so 
there  is  a  corresponding  widening  of  the  Spirit's 
work.     He  is  now  bestowed  on  all  behevers  of 


THE   PLAN   OF  MISSIONS,  95 

the  elect  Church.  But,  in  all  the  New  Testament, 
we  search  in  vain  for  any  promise  that,  during  this 
age,  the  Church  will  be  co-extensive  with  the  world. 
There  are  glimpses  of  a  cofuing  age,  sometimes 
mistakenly  called  the  "world  to  come,"  when 
God's  plan  shall  still  broaden  out — when  the 
world-wide  proclamation  of  the  Gospel  shall  be 
followed  by  a  world-wide  knowledge  of  Christ ; 
when  the  Holy  Spirit  shall  again,  and  still  more 
plentifully,  be  poured  out  from  on  high ;  not  on 
elect  individuals  in  an  elect  nation,  nor  on  all  be- 
lievers in  an  elect  Church  gathered  out  of  every 
nation,  but,  in  a  peculiar  sense,  "  upon  all  flesh  "y 
and  so  Joel's  words,  which  found  their  foretaste 
in  the  Pentecost,  shall  have  their  fulfilment, — their 
iill-full-ment.  Then,  and  not  till  then,  is  the  family 
of  God  to  become  co-extensive  with  the  family  of 
man.  And  yet,  even  in  that  millennial  age,  the 
revolt  at  the  end  hints  that  there  will  still  be 
those  who  persistently  reject  the  Gospel  and  re- 
fuse to  have  this  King  Jesus  to  reign  over  them, 
and  are  to  be  dashed  in  pieces  like  a  potter's  ves- 
sel. It  would  seem  that,  until  the  very  end  of 
that  millennial  age,  sin  is  not  to  be  exterminated. 
The  Gospel  is  to  triumph  more  and  more  widely, 
but  to  the  end  there  will  be,  as  in  Paul's  day,  some 
who  believe  not. 

Each  successive  dispensation  has  thus  prepared 
for,  and  has  ushered  in,  a  greater  age  to  come. 
At  first  a  nation,  chosen  out  of  the  world ;  then  a 


96  THE   DIVINE   ENTERPRISE. 

Church  gathered  out  from  the  nations  ;  and,  finally, 
the  nations  of  the  world  transformed  into  the 
Redeemer's  people  and  subjects.  In  that  age  to 
come  whereof  we  speak,  all  that  was  in  the  former 
and  latter  ages  shall  be  found,  and  much  more. 
Inclusion  then  displaces  exclusion.  And  thus  the 
three  ages  present  three  concentric  circles,  with 
ever-widening  circumference.  The  circle  of  the 
believing  brotherhood  enlarges  from  Jewish  nation 
to  Christian  Church,  and  from  Christian  Church 
to  a  saved  humanity.  The  sphere  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  expands  from  elect  individuals  to  a  believing 
ecclesia,  and  then  to  all  flesh.  And  yet  those  who 
hold  to  such  doctrine  as  this,  scriptural  as  it  is, 
are  ridiculed  and  stigmatized  as  "  pessimists  !  " 

Hundreds  and  thousands  of  the  noblest  mis- 
sionaries have  been  found  to  hold  substantially  the 
position  here  taken.  David  Livingstone,  that 
"  missionary  general  and  statesman,"  early  learned 
that  the  conversion  of  individuals  is  really  a  nar- 
rower and  more  near-sighted  aim  than  the  evan- 
gelization of  the  multitude.  He  was  the  last  man 
to  undervalue  the  conversion  of  one  of  the  least 
and  lowest  of  God's  creatures  ;  and,*  in  the  earHer 
part  of  his  missionary  hfe,  bent  his  whole  mind  to 
work  and  pray  for  the  salvation  of  a  single  soul, 
and  with  some  small  success.  But — though  he 
neither  grew  weary  of  this  work  nor  impatient  at 
the  slow  fruit  which  was  gathered,  one  by  one, 
like  a  hand-picked  harvest — his  view  of  God's  plan 


THE  PLAN  OF  MISSIONS.  97 

widened.  He  saw  that  the  universal  spread  of  the 
good  tidings  and  the  wide  diffusion  of  Christian 
principles  was  the  greater  good,  and  in  the  end 
would  yield  a  grander  harvest.  "To  the  con- 
verted "  man,  individually,  his  own  conversion  was 
of  overwhelming  consequence  ;  but  with  relation  to 
the  final  harvest,  it  is  more  important  to  sow  the 
seed  broadcast  over  a  wide  field  than  to  reap  a 
few  heads  of  grain  on  a  single  spot.* 

We  repeat  the  caution,  that  we  must  beware 
how  we  measure  our  work  or  our  success  in  this 
world-field  by  the  appareiit  harvest.  If,  by  the  in- 
gathering of  a  large  number  of  converts,  God  is 
pleased  to  set  His  seal  on  mission  work,  as  being  of 
a  godly  sort,  yet  this  is  not  the  infallible  criterion 
either  of  fidelity  or  of  success.  Many  a  devoted 
servant  of  God  has,  Hke  Enoch  and  Noah,  Isaiah 
and  Jeremiah,  Ezekiel  and  even  Jesus  Himself, 
met  with  what  to  human  eyes  is  not  only  rejection 
but  failure.  The  most  honest  and  earnest  witness- 
bearing  seems  sometimes  not  so  much  to  deliver 
man  from  as  to  the  just  judgment  of  God ;  and, 
instead  of  the  hearers  being  justified  by  faith,  the 
preacher  is  justified  in  his  fidelity  to  souls,  and  God 
is  justified  in  their  judicial  abandonment.  In  such 
case  is  the  prophet  or  the  preacher  any  less  faith- 
ful or  is  God's  true  servant  any  less  rewarded  be- 
cause the  hearer  is  faithless  f 

To  measure  success  in  missions  in  India,  China, 

*  Personal  Life  of  Livingstone,  p.  157, 


98  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

Africa,  or  even  in  transformed  Western  Polynesia, 
by  iiwnerical  results,  would  be  a  fatal  mistake. 
No :  the  true  criterion  everywhere  is  the  wide 
diffusion  of  the  Gospel.  It  is  a  question  of  ex- 
tensity  rather  than  intensity ;  and  hence  the  true, 
divine  principle  of  missions  is  not  concentration^ 
but  diffusion. 

The  field  is  the  world  ;  the  seed  is  of  two  sorts  : 
first,  the  Word  of  God ;  secondly,  the  children  of 
the  kingdom;  and  both  of  these  sorts  of  seed  must 
be  sown,  and  sown  broadcast  over  the  whole  field. 
Depth  is  important,  but  breadth  is  of  first  conse- 
quence. It  will  in  time  be  seen  that  God's  policy 
of  diffusion  was  far  better  than  man's  policy  of 
comparative  exclusion  and  seclusion.  Ultimately 
it  will  appear  that  the  abundance  of  individual 
conversions  will  be  in  exact  proportion  to  the 
wide-spread  scattering  of  the  seed  of  the  kingdom. 
The  Gospel  message  is,  as  we  have  seen,  charac- 
terized by  two  universal  terms — "  the  woidd,''  which 
is  collective ;  "  whosoever,"  which  is  distributive ; 
but  the  great  collective  term,  ^'all  the  world,''  pre- 
cedes the  distributive  term,  ''every  creature." 
Let  us  learn  that  our  duty  is  to  the  world,  and  we 
must  leave  to  God  the  "whosoever." 

We  have  thus  sought  to  find  by  searching  what 
is  God's  plan  or  purpose  concerning  the  Church 
and  the  world.  Certain  we  are  that  He  wills  the 
largest  and  promptest  proclamation  of  the  Gospel, 
the  presence  of  witnessing  believers  and  a  witness- 


THE  PLAN  OF  MISSIONS.  99 

ing  Church  everywhere,  even  to  the  uttermost 
part  of  the  earth.  Beyond  that  we  are  sure  of 
nothing  save  this,  that  His  Word  will  not  return 
to  Him  void,  and  that  our  labor  will  not  be  in 
vain  in  the  Lord. 

To  all  believers  the  divine  command  is,  that  we 
outgrow  our  babyhood — cease  to  be  mere  objects 
of  care,  and  become  care-takers;  that  we  enter 
into  that  divine  plan  which  takes  in  the  whole 
Church,  the  whole  world,  and  the  whole  age.  We 
must  be  satisfied  with  the  hope  that  has  its  anchor- 
age in  Scripture  promises,  do  our  duty,  and  leave 
results  with  God — undertake  a  world's  evangeliza- 
tion, and  not  be  disheartened  if  we  find  that,  to 
the  end  of  the  age,  there  is  only  an  out-gathering 
of  the  Church ;  and  that,  as  in  the  Apostolic  age, 
some  believe  the  things  which  are  spoken  and  some 
believe  not.  The  stress  of  the  command  is  on  oc- 
cupatmi^  evaiigelization.  A  loyal  servant  or  soldier 
simply  obeys,  implicitly,  orders  which  are  explicit. 
Here  are  our  marching  orders  ;  and  to  follow  them 
is  to  win  what  is  better  even  than  apparent  vic- 
tory, the  approval  of  Him  who  will  say,  "  Well 
DONE,  good  and  faithful  servant." 

Now  of  the  things  which  we  have  spoken,  this 
is  the  sum :  Every  saved  soul  is  called  to  be  a 
herald  and  a  witness  ;  and  we  are  to  aim  at  nothing 
less  than  this :  to  make  every  nation^  and  every 
creature  in  every  nation,  acquainted  with  the  Gos- 
pel tidings.     This  is  the  first  and  ever-present  duty 


lOO  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

of  the  Church :  it  is  the  heart  of  the  whole  mis- 
sionary plan.  God  will  give  us  souls  as  our  hire 
and  crown ;  large  results  in  conversion  of  indi- 
viduals and  the  transformation  of  whole  com- 
munities will  follow,  as  they  always  have  followed, 
a  godly  testimony.  But  we  are  not  to  wait  for 
results :  we  are  to  regard  our  duty  as  never  done, 
while  any  region  beyond  is  without  the  Gospel. 
Let  all  men  have  a  hearing  of  the  Gospel  at  least ; 
then,  when  evangelization  is  world-wide,  we  may 
bend  our  energies  to  deepening  the  impression 
which  a  first  hearing  of  the  Gospel  has  made. 
But,  again,  let  it  peal  out,  as  with  a  voice  of 
thunder,  to  be  heard  wherever  there  are  believers  ! 
The  first  need  of  the  world  is  to  hear  the  Gospel, 
and  the  first  duty  of  the  Church  is  to  go  every- 
where and  tell  every  human  being  of  Christ,  the 
world's  Saviour.  To  stop,  or  linger  anywhere, 
even  to  repeat  the  rejected  message,  so  long  as 
there  are  souls  beyond  that  have  never  heard  it, 
is  at  least  unjust  to  those  who  are  still  in  absolute 
darkness.  Instead  of  creating  a  few  centres  of 
intense  Hght,  God  would  have  us  scatter  the  lamps 
until  all  darkness  is  at  least  relieved,  if  not  removed. 
And  if  to  any  reader  it  appears  that  this  is  em- 
phasizing a  distinction  that  is  of  little  consequence, 
let  such  an  one  stop  a  moment  and  consider  what 
would  be  the  result  if  our  Lord's  plan  were  fol- 
lowed. 

There  are,  we  will  say,  about  forty  million  mem- 


THE  PLAN  OF  MISSIONS.  loi 

bers  of  Protestant  churches,  and  at  least  eight 
hundred  milHons  yet  in  ejitire  ignoraiice  of  the 
Gospel.  Let  us  suppose  that  the  whole  Church, 
under  some^-mighty  baptism  of  fire,  should  under- 
take to  bear  the  Gospel  message  to  every  hving 
soul,  at  once.  If  every  Protestant  behever  could 
so  be  brought  into  active  participation  in  this  work 
as  to  be  the  means  of  reaching  huenty  of  these 
souls,  now  without  the  Gospel,  the  work  would  be 
done.  All  cannot  go,  but  all  can  send.  Let  us 
suppose  again  that  Protestant  churches  should 
se7id  out  07ie  missionary  teacher  for  every  four 
hundred  communicants;  we  should  have  a  mis- 
sionary force  of  ojie  hundred  thousand ;  and,  by 
distributing  this  force  in  the  entire  field,  each 
teacher  would  have  to  reach  but  eight  thousand 
souls,  in  order  to  evangelize  the  world.  Allowing 
twenty  years  for  that  work,  each  laborer  would 
have  to  reach  but  four  hundred  of  the  unevan- 
gelized  each  year ! 

We  must  push  this  work — ^let  men  call  us  fools, 
fanatics,  madmen — we  can  afford  to  bear  it  for  the 
sake  of  doing  the  will  of  God.  When  Judson  had 
biu-ied  himself  in  Burmah,  and  ten  years'  work 
could  show  but  eighteen  converts,  he  was  asked : 
"  What  of  the  prospect  ? "  His  heroic  answer 
was  :  ''  Bright  as  the  promises  of  God  !  "  When 
John  Wesley  proposed  to  go  to  Georgia  as  a  mis- 
sionary to  the  Indians,  an  unbeliever  ridiculed  him : 
"What  is    this?     Are   you   one    of   the   knights 


I02  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE, 

errant  ?  How,  pray,  got  you  this  Quixotism  into 
your  head  ?  You  want  nothing,  have  a  good  pro- 
vision for  life,  and  a  prospect  of  preferment ;  and 
must  you  leave  all  this  to  fight  wind-mills — to 
convert  American  savages  ?  "  Wesley  calmly  re- 
plied :  ''  If  the  Bible  be  not  true,  I  am  as  a  very 
fool  and  madman,  as  you  can  conceive.  But  if 
the  Bible  is  of  God,  I  am  sober-minded.  For  He 
has  declared,  There  is  no  man  who  hath  left  house 
or  friend  or  brethren  for  the  kingdom  of  God's 
sake,  who  shall  not  receive  manifold  more  in  this 
present  time,  and,  in  the  world  to  come,  Hfe  ever- 
lasting !  " 

With  such  heroic  missionaries  as  Adoniram 
Judson  and  John  Wesley,  we  are  content  to  follow 
our  Lord's  leading  without  regard  to  apparent 
results.  The  command  is  plain :  "Go  ye  also 
into  the  vineyard,"  and  the  promise  is  sufficient : 
"  Whatsoever  is  right,  that  shall  ye  receive."  God 
is  a  liberal  rewarder,  and  He  always  exceeds  His 
own  promise.  That  workman  is  surest  of  blessing 
who  does  his  Lord's  work  without  the  misgivings 
of  unbelief  or  the  exactions  of  a  carnal  spirit.  The 
path  of  the  missionary  is  the  way  to  Calvary,  but 
beyond  the  cross  shines  the  crown. 


III. 

THE   DIVINE  WORK   OF   MISSIONS. 


ASTOR  MO  NOD,  of  Paris,  beautifully 
suggests  that  all  true  work  done  by  a 
disciple  is  really  a  part  of  God's  own 
eternal,  universal  work,  assigned  to  the  believer. 
If  we  conceive  God's  work  as  a  grand  sphere, 
filling  immensity  and  eternity,  then  every  disciple's 
work  is  a  part  of  that  sphere,  a  small  segment  that 
lies  over  against  him ;  and,  if  he  has  spiritual  eyes 
to  discern  his  duty,  he  may  read  upon  that  work 
of  God  which  belongs  to  him  to  do,  his  own  name 
and  the  date  of  the  present  year.  In  other  words, 
in  God's  plan  each  one  of  us  is  embraced,  and 
has  a  definite  assignment,  and,  for  each  year, 
month,  day,  and  hour,  a  specific  duty  to  do. 
What  dignity  and  beauty  and  glory  such  a  con- 
ception imparts  to  human  hfe,  to  know  that  "in  the 
great  mechanism  of  the  ages,  I  am  a  part  and 
have  a  place  and  sphere  ! 

This  thought  I  would  now  bring  to  the  front : 
the  work  of  missions  is  not  only  a  toil  for  God, 
but  a  work  with  God.  This  is  very  fully  and  re- 
markably set  forth  in  three  principal  passages  of 


I04 


THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 


Scripture,  whose  full  force  appears  only  as  we  set 
them  side  by  side  and  carefully  compare  them. 


"  For  we  are  La- 
borers together  -with 
God:  ye  are  God's 
husbandry  :  ye  are 
God's  building.  .  .  . 
We  then  as  ivorkers 
together  -with  Hhn, 
beseech  you  also  that 
ye  receive  not  the 
grace  of  God  in 
vain."— I.  Cor.  iii.  9  ; 
vi.  I. 


"  Who  now  rejoice 
in  my  sufferings  for 
you,  and  Jill  up  that 
■which  is  behind  0/ 
the  afflictions  of 
Christ  in  my  flesh, 
for  His  body's  sake 
which  is  the  church, 
whereof  I  am  made  a 
minister."  —  Colos- 
sians,  i.  24. 


"When  the  Com- 
forter is  come,  even 
the  Spirit  of  Truth, 
He  shall  bear  witness 
of  me ;  and  ye  also 
shall  bear  -witness, 
because  ye  have  been 
with  me  from  the  be- 
ginning."—John,  XV. 
26,  27  ;  Com  p.  Acts, 
V.  32. 


Even  in  the  New  Testament  no  words  can  be 
found  more  pathetically  beautiful.  Here  our  work 
for  souls  is  set  forth  as  a  co-operation  with  the 
Triune  God,  in  three  various  aspects,  as  co-labor, 
co-suffering,  and  co-wit?iessmg.  But  that  which  is 
far  more  remarkable  and  impressive  in  these  pas- 
sages is,  that  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy 
Spirit  are  individually,  successively,  and  separately 
presented  as  personally  sharing  with  the  believer 
the  dignity  of  this  exalted  service. 

In  the  passage  from  the  first  Epistle  to  the 
Corinthians  a  careful  glance  shows  that  the  word 
God  there  means  the  first  person  of  the  Trinity, 
as  distinguished  from  the  others.  As  to  the  other 
two  quotations,  no  doubt  can  arise,  because,  in 
one  the  person  of  Christ,  and  in  the  other  the  per- 
son of  the  Spirit,  is  particularly  mentioned.  To 
compare  Scripture  with  Scripture,  to  combine  these 
fragments  as  in  a  mosaic,  is  to  get  a  wonderful 


THE    WORK  OF  MISSIONS.  105 

picture,  in  which  the  whole  conception  and  execu- 
tion of  the  plan  of  Redemption  is  spread  before 
us  in  a  new  light,  from  its  eternal  idea  and  purpose 
in  the  mind  of  the  Father,  to  its  execution  in  the 
person  and  work  of  the  suffering  Son,  and  its 
divine  appHcation  in  the  witness  of  the  Spirit  to 
the  truth  and  by  the  blood. 

There  is  something  awe-inspiring  in  the  fact 
that,  in  each  separate  department  of  this  work, 
and  with  each  separate  person  of  the  Trinity,  the 
behever  is  thus  made  a  direct  partaker  !  God  the 
Father  is  represented  as  beseeching  men  and 
building  up  a  living  temple  out  of  believing  souls ; 
and  the  behever  also  joins  with  God  in  beseeching 
men  to  be  reconciled  to  Him,  and  in  building 
upon  the  one  foundation,  the  temple  of  living 
stones.  God  the  Son  is  represented  as  vicariously 
suffering  for  the  salvation  of  the  lost,  and  gather- 
ing believers  into  the  mystical  body  of  which  He 
is  the  head ;  and  again,  the  believer  is  represented 
as  sharing  with  Him  this  vicarious  sacrifice  and 
ministry,  and  as  filling  up  somewhat,  which,  with- 
out the  behever,  would  be  lacking.  God  the 
Spirit  is  represented  as  a  witness-bearer,  first  of 
all  to  the  truth  which  He  brings  to  bear  upon  the 
mind  and  heart;  and  then  to  the  blood  whose 
power  he  reveals  in  the  death,. and  especially  in 
the  resurrection,  of  Christ ;  and  now,  once  more, 
the  believer  is  presented  as  also  witnessing  with  the 
Holy  Ghost,  as  though  needful  to  complete  and 


lo6  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE, 

confirm  the  testimony  of  the  Spirit,  according  to 
the  Levitical  law,  that  in  the.  mouth  of  two  wit- 
nesses every  word  be  estabHshed. 

These  passages,  thus  jointly  considered,  present 
the  humblest  human  beHever  and  disciple  as  a  co- 
worker with  God  the  Father,  a  co-sufferer  with 
God  the  Son,  and  a  co-witness  with  God  the  Spirit. 
Taken  thus  together,  they  suggest  the  highest 
dignity  and  privilege  of  every  child  of  God.  He 
is  lifted  to  a  divine  level.  His  humble  work  for 
God  is  exalted  to  a  work  with  God ;  his  sacrifice 
and  service  is  raised  to  a  plane  that  is  higher  than 
angehc  ministry.  These  words  of  the  Scripture 
hint,  if  they  do  not  affirm,  that  the  believer  is 
necessary  to  the  completeness  and  completion  of 
the  work  of  redeeming  a  lost  world.  He  is  a  part 
of  a  divine  mechanism,  and,  until  he  drops  into 
his  place  and  co-works  with  other  parts  to  produce 
one  result,  something  is  lacking  to  complete  ad- 
justment, perfect  movement,  and  ultimate  success. 

I.  How  is  this  work  of  missions  thus  a  co- 
operatiofi  with  God  the  Father  ? 

We  may  take  the  exact  thought  of  Paul,  "  As 
though  God  did  beseech  you  by  us."  God,  hke 
a  loving  father  yearning  over  a  rebellious  son, 
or  a  sovereign  over  a  revolted  subject,  beseeches 
men  to  be  reconciled  to  Him.  But  how  does 
He  beseech,  save  by  us  ?  How  is  His  yearning 
brought  to  the  knowledge  of  the  rebel  sinner  %  It 
finds  expression  in  the  good  tidings  of  the  Gospel, 


THE    WORK  OF  MISSIONS.  107 

but  good  tidings  will  not  bear  themselves ;  they 
imply  messengers^  whose  feet  are  shod  with  the 
winged  sandals  of  the  alacrity  of  the  Gospel, 
whose  hands  hold  forth  the  Word  of  Life,  and 
whose  lips  send  forth  words,  their  errant  daugh- 
ters. The  Gospel  message  needs  a  voice,  and 
John  the  Baptist  subhmely  said :  "I  am  the 
Voice."  Observe,  a  voice,  not  a  mere  sound, 
but  intelligent,  articulate,  sympathetic,  soulful 
utterance. 

That  word,  "  ambassador,"  used  by  Paul,  holds 
in  itself  a  whole  body  of  divinity.  It  imphes  an 
authorized  messenger,  a  representative  of  a  gov- 
ernment at  a  foreign  comt,  with  a  definite  mission 
and  commission,  and  a  specific  body  of  instruc- 
tions. So  long  as  an  ambassador  acts  within  the 
limits  of  his  instructions,  the  government  which  he 
represents  speaks  in  his  words,  acts  through  his 
acts,  and  stands  behind  him  with  all  the  power, 
authority,  and  resources  of  a  republic  or  an  em- 
pire. An  insult  to  such  an  ambassador  is  a  blow 
in  the  face  of  his  sovereign,  an  outrage  upon  the 
whole  nation,  which  the  whole  government  resents  ; 
while  a  respectful  hearing  accorded  to  him  is  an 
audience  given  to  the  monarch  whose  court  he 
represents.  In  the  ambassador,  therefore,  his 
government  is  virtually  present. 

So  far  as  the  behever  teaches  God's  truth  and 
bears  witness  to  Christ,  he  is  God's  ambassador. 
So  long  and  so  far  as  he  keeps  within  the  limits 


io8  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE, 

of  his  instructions,  faithfully  speaking  God's  Word, 
it  is  God  who  speaks  in  and  through  him.  Behind 
him  stand  all  the  authority  and  power  of  the  God- 
head. And  so  Christ  says  to  such  ambassadors : 
*'  He  that  receiveth  you,  receiveth  Me^  and  he 
that  receiveth  Me,  receiveth  Him  that  sent  Me." 
He  who  gives  us  a  hearing  hearkens  to  God,  and 
he  who  rejects  our  words  turns  his  back  upon 
God.  Not  at  the  last  great  day,  only,  but  all 
through  the  Gospel  age,  the  Judge  is  saying, 
"  Inasmuch  as  ye  have  done  it  unto  one  of  the 
least  of  these,  my  brethren,  ye  have  done  it  unto 
Me."  He  would  have  us  remember  that,  when- 
ever we  beseech  men  to  be  reconciled  to  God, 
God  Himself  beseeches  through  us. 

Again  Paul  uses  the  figures  of  "  bidlding "  and 
of  ''husbandry,''  to  represent  this  co-working  with 
God.  In  both  these  common  forms  of  labor, 
architecture,  and  agriculture,  there  are  the  superior 
and  the  inferior  workmen,  and  both  are  essential 
to  the  perfect  product.  In  building,  the  architect 
and  contractor  furnishes  plan  and  material ;  from 
his  brain  comes  the  idea  of  the  structure,  from  his 
pencil,  the  draught  in  all  its  details,  and  from  his 
quarry  and  shops,  the  material.  But  to  the  com- 
mon workman  are  committed  all  the  details  of  the 
actual  work ;  he  receives  the  building  material,  as 
brought  to  the  ground,  he  studies  and  minutely 
follows  the  plan,  and  according  thereto  puts  in 
place  stone  and  timber.     The  architect  may  fur- 


THE    WORK  OF  MISSIONS.  1 09 

nish  only  instructions  and  material,  and  may  him- 
self never  appear  in  person  on  the  site. 

So  in  husbandry.  The  owner  of  the  estate  pro- 
jects the  improvements,  furnishes  the  implements, 
and  supplies  material.  His  are  the  soil  and  seed, 
the  field  and  crop.  But  he  works  the  farm  through 
his  serv^ants,  and  may  himself  never  tread  the  field, 
plough  the  furrows,  sow  the  seed,  or  reap  the 
harvest. 

The  veil  of  parable  does  not  hide  the  truth. 
God  is  building  up  a  temple  of  believers.  The 
plan  and  work  are  His ;  He  designs  the  worldng 
plan.  He  provides  the  building  material,  and, 
when  brought  to  the  temple  platform,  no  tool 
needs  to  be  lifted  upon  it  to  fit  it  to  its  foreor- 
dained place  in  the  great  structure.  But  who  are 
His  builders  ?  Paul  and  other  apostles,  as  wise 
master-builders,  laid  the  foundation,  in  Jesus 
Christ,  and  you  and  I  are  to  caiTy  on  and  carry 
up  the  Temple  of  the  Ages. 

The  centuries  go  by ;  God  buries  workman 
after  workman,  but  the  work  never  ceases.  The 
world  itself  is  but  the  scaffolding  about  the  Church 
of  God,  made  to  aid  in  its  erection,  but  to  be  torn 
down  and  burned  up  when  the  cap-stone  of  God's 
cathedral  is  laid. 

The  whole  work  is  therefore  one.  Every  dis- 
ciple who  faithfully  witnesses  to  God,  is  one  of 
God's  builders.  It  matters  not  hov/  prominent 
or  obscure,  however  great  or  small  in  human  eyes. 


no  THE   DIVINE   ENTERPRISE. 

He  may  be  working  down  in  the  quarry,  where 
the  crude  material  is  hewn  and  shaped  for  the 
building,  or  in  the  shops,  where  the  timbers  of 
immortal  cedar  are  gotten  ready  for  the  frame- 
work, or  the  beaten  gold  for  the  furnishing  and 
garnishing;  or  he  may  stand  on  the  platform 
where  the  living  stones  are  Kfted  to  their  place, 
builded  together  for  an  habitation  of  God  through 
the  Spirit,  and  where  the  whole  building,  fitly 
framed  together,  groweth  into  an  Holy  Temple  in 
the  Lord ;  but,  wherever  his  place  and  whatever 
his  work,  he  is  building  for  God  and  working  with 
God.  God  has  chosen  to  work  by  him,  and  can- 
not, without  abandoning  His  eternal  plan,  do 
without  him ;  and  when,  in  all  its  final  glory,  the 
building  stands  complete,  each  workman  shall,  in 
beholding  its  perfection,  trace  the  living  stones 
which  his  hands  have  shaped  for  it  and  placed  in 
it;  and — how  could  it  be  otherwise? — he  shall 
share  in  the  glory,  as  he  has  shared  in  the  toil ! 
The  Divine  Architect  of  the  Ages  condescends  to 
choose  human  beings  to  carry  out  His  thought 
and  plan,  according  to  the  pattern  shewed  in  the 
Mount ;  and  so,  reverently,  let  it  be  said,  God  waits 
for  man's  co-operation  in  His  temple-building ! 

We  turn  to  consider,  a  Httle  more  in  detail,  the 
agricultural  figure:  "Ye  are  God's  husbandry," 
i.e.^  the  product  of  God's  tillage.  But  Paul  says 
just  before,  "  I  have  planted,  Apollos  watered,  but 
God  gave  the  increase."     All  our  labor  of  plough- 


THE    WORK  OF  MISSIONS.  m 

ing,  sowing,  reaping,  would  yield  no  crop  if  He 
did  not  give  soil  and  seed,  sunshine,  dew,  and  rain. 
Equally  true  is  it,  that  all  these  gifts  of  God  could 
produce  no  harvest,  without  human  hands  to  till 
the  soil  and  sow  the  seed,  to  put  in  the  sickle  and 
gather  in  the  sheaves.  God's  harvest  hangs  on 
your  toil  and  mine :  it  is  the  union  of  the  divine 
and  human  husbandmen  that  gives  the  crop ! 

Yes,  the  field  is  the  world,  and  the  "  good  seed  " 
is  not  only  "  the  Word  of  God,"  but  it  is  also  "  the 
children  of  the  Kingdofn.''^  And  for  a  double  rea- 
son. If  the  good  seed  of  the  Word  of  God  is 
sown  and  scattered  at  all,  the  children  of  the 
Kingdom  must  be  the  sowers ;  and  if  the  blessed 
harvest  of  souls  is  ever  to  be  reaped,  the  children 
of  the  Kingdom  must  sow  not  only  the  Word, 
but  themselves,  in  the  soil  of  society !  And  so 
they  of  whom  the  world  is  not  worthy,  and  of 
whom  it  contemptuously  says  that  they  "bury 
themselves  out  of  sight  among  the  heathen,"  do 
indeed  ''bury  themselves,"  because  seed  never 
sprouts  until  it  is  buried  in  the  soil !  Like  their 
Master,  they  dread  most  of  all  to  abide  alone, 
and,  like  Him,  shrink  not  from  Gethsemane  and 
Golgotha,  so  that,  dying,  they  may  no  longer  abide 
alone,  but  dying,  live,  and,  living,  bring  forth  much 
fruit.  And,  because  there  are  some  who,  as  God's 
good  seed,  are  buried  for  His  sake,  this  missionary 
age  has  its  harvest-fields  which  give  both  seed  for 
the  sower  and  bread  for  the  eater.     The  field 


112  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

IS  THE  WORLD  !  *  That,  only,  bounds  missionary 
activity ;  and  who  dares  remove  the  ancient  land- 
marks which  the  Lord  Himself  hath  set  up  !  The 
field  is  world-wide ;  we  must  not  narrow  it  down 
within  a  smaller  circumference,  nor  select  any 
portion  of  it  as  the  exclusive  or  favorite  spot  for 
our  tillage. 

Our  Lord's  figures  of  speech  never  veil  the  sense. 
His  illustrations  illustrate.  They  are  windows 
that  let  in  the  hght  upon  the  inmost  recesses  of 
His  doctrine,  and  we  may  walk  safely  so  that  our 
feet  do  not  stumble.  We  have  seen  windows 
whose  elaborate  carved  frame-work  and  stained 
glass  patch-work  seemed  ingeniously  devised  to 
shut  out  hght.  But,  when  our  Lord  sets  a  window 
in  the  structure  of  His  discourse,  Hght  pours 
through  it  unhindered,  as  through  transparent 
panes. 

This  metaphor  needs  no  explanation.  "The 
field  is  the  world."  What  object  more  common 
and  familiar  to  the  eye  of  His  hearers  than  a  field 
at  some  stage  of  tillage  !  And,  when  He  would 
point  disciples  to  the  sphere  of  their  work  for  God 
and  for  souls,  He  stretches  His  hands  toward  the 
cardinal  points  of  the  compass  and  says,  ''the 
world .'^  Wherever  on  this  globe  man  is,  there  is 
the  soil  for  our  sowing ;  and  so  long  as  man  is 
found  on  earth,  so  long  is  this  holy  husbandry  to 
go  on,  until  no  part  is  left  desert,  or  unchanged 

*  Matt.  xiii.  38. 


THE    WORK  OF  MISSIONS.  113 

into  the  garden  of  the  Lord.  What  a  conception 
of  work  for  and  with  God !  A  field  that  has  no 
Hmits  of  territory  but  the  space  of  the  habitable 
earth,  and  a  labor  that  has  no  limits  of  duration 
but  the  Gospel  age  itself !  Wherever  there  is  a 
human  creature,  and  so  long  as  the  race  survives, 
the  work  goes  on. 

The  field  is  the  world.  Vast  indeed  is  this  field. 
Probably  two-thirds  of  the  entire  area  of  the  solid 
surface  of  the  globe  is  inhabited,  and  in  some 
parts  densely;  the  aggregate  population  of  the 
earth  is  close  to  1,500,000,000,  a  number  too  large 
to  be  easily  comprehended.  A  pendulum  whose 
arc  measures  a  second  would  take  fifty  years ^  day 
and  night,  to  mark  so  many  seconds ;  in  other 
words,  it  would  take  half  a  century,  day  and  night, 
for  this  immense  multitude  to  pass  by  a  given 
point  at  the  rate  of  one  every  second.  And,  in 
that  august  procession,  we  should  find  but  07ie  m 
fifty  a  member  of  any  Protestant  communion,  and 
but  07ie  ill  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  a  mis- 
sionary from  Protestant  churches  to  heathen  lands ; 
and  so  the  field  Hes  yet  waiting  for  the  workmen : 
the  larger  part  of  it  has  yet  to  be  broken  up  with 
plough  and  harrow  and  sown  with  the  good 
seed. 

The  field  is  not  only  vast,  but  it  is  one  of  ever- 
recurring  need.  We  cannot  till  any  field  for  all 
time  to  come.  Every  spring  brings  the  sowing- 
time  and  every  autumn  the  reaping-time,  so  that 


114  THE   DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

every  new  season  presents  a  new  field  for  the 
plough  and  the  sickle.  And  it  is  so  with  the  field 
of  the  world.  Three  times  in  a  century,  the  pop- 
ulation of  our  globe  gives  place  to  a  new  genera- 
tion ;  so  that  if  to-day  the  whole  world  were 
evangelized,  within  thirty  years  a  new  generation 
would  present  a  new  need  of  the  Gospel  message. 
And  hence  the  greater  demand  for  constant,  per- 
sistent, and  world-wide  missions:  the  more  this 
work  is  neglected,  and  the  longer,  the  more  it  gets 
beyond  us  :  the  thicker  and  ranker  the  vile  growths 
become  which  must  be  uprooted  to  make  room 
for  the  Gospel.  Whereas,  if  the  Church  of  Christ 
should  once  overtake  the  wants  of  one  generation, 
it  would  be  comparatively  easy  to  keep  the  ground 
clear  and  occupy  the  entire  field  in  the  generations 
to  come.  We  thus  owe  a  double  debt,  first  to  a 
world  lying  in  sin,  to  sow  it  in  every  part  with 
the  seed  of  the  kingdom ;  and  secondly,  to  the 
Church  of  the  generations  to  come,  to  prepare  the 
way  for  the  successful  work  of  those  who  are  to 
follow  after  us. 

Every  nobler  motive  combines  to  inspire  prompt 
and  energetic  world-husbandry.  Delay  compli- 
cates the  problem  and  dupHcates  the  task.  Once 
let  the  Gospel  message  be  proclaimed  to  every 
hving  creature,  and  henceforth  there  has  been  one 
complete  sowing  of  the  whole  field ;  everywhere 
harvests  begin  to  appear,  and  their  yield  supplies 
additional  seed  for  another  sowing.     Once  to  meet 


THE    WORK  OF  MISSIONS.  115 

the  needs  of  the  race  is  to  render  comi:)aratively 
easy  the  supply  of  recurring  need. 

But  again,  every  field  has  its  crises.  When  the 
sowing  time  comes,  the  seed  must  be  put  in  the 
furrows — it  is  now  or  nevei'.  When  the  harvest 
ripens,  the  sickle  must  be  immediately  put  at  work ; 
again  it  is  now  or  never — ripeness  borders  on  rot- 
tenness, and  the  crop  which  is  not  reaped  is  soon 
not  worth  reaping.  So  the  world-field  presents  its 
crises.  When  the  soil  lies  fallow  and  waits  for  the 
sower,  if  he  goes  not  forth  with  his  seed,  he  loses 
his  chance ;  and,  when  the  fields  are  white  with 
harvest,  to  wait  is  to  forfeit  both  his  chance  and 
his  crop.  And,  in  some  part  of  the  wide  field,  it 
is  always  a  crisis :  either  the  sower  or  the  reaper 
is  in  demand,  and  sometimes  both,  for  sometimes 
God's  harvests  come  so  fast  that  the  ploughman 
overtakes  the  reaper,  and  the  treader  of  grapes  him 
that  soweth  the  seed. 

Our  Lord,  whose  apt  metaphor  thus  teaches  us 
so  many  lessons  about  the  fields  is  not  less  instruct- 
ive as  to  the  seed.  It  is  a  curious  fact  that,  as 
ahready  intimated,  in  the  great  chapter  of  the  king- 
dom, Matthew  xiii.,  two  parables  out  of  the  seven, 
and  these  the  first  two,  present  the  sameyf^/^/,  the 
world,  but  not  the  same  seed.  In  the  former 
parable  the  ''seed  is  the  Word  of  God''* — in  the 
latter,  "  the  good  seed  are  the  childre7i  of  the  K'mg- 
dotn.''  t  In  this  difference  lies  a  sublime  lesson. 
*  Luke  viii.  11.  f  Matt.  xiii.  38. 


ii6  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

God  sows  His  field  with  two  kinds  of  seed :  His 
Word  and  His  disciples.  It  is  the  Bible  with  the 
believer  behind  it — the  Gospel  of  salvation,  with  a 
gospeller,  a  saved  soul,  to  proclaim  it ;  the  message 
of  life,  borne  by  the  living  messenger,  the  Word 
of  God  with  the  witness  of  God.  Both  the  truth 
as  it  is  in  Jesus  and  the  renewed  soul  as  he  is  in 
Jesus  are  necessary  in  this  seed-sowing  of  the 
kingdom. 

But,  more  than  this,  there  is  a  connection  between 
these  two  parables  and  these  two  sorts  of  seed. 
At  the  first  sowing,  the  Son  of  man  Himself  was 
the  sower,  and  the  seed  was  the  Word  of  God ; 
but,  when  that  Word  sprang  up  and  yielded  fruit, 
that  fruit  was  not  a  new  message  or  word  from 
God,  but  a  believer.  And  thus  we  sow  the  Gospel, 
and  the  crop  is  a  crop  of  souls;  we  get  from  that 
first  sowing  of  the  Word  of  God  a  harvest  of  the 
children  of  the  kingdom,  who,  in  turn,  become 
seed  for  a  new  crop  of  believers.  Here  is  the 
great  hope  of  missions,  and  the  real  secret  of 
God's  plan.  Were  we  to  bear  the  seed  of  the 
Gospel  at  once  into  all  the  world,  and  faithfully 
sow  it,  there  would  be  a  crop  of  converts  through- 
out the  world,  who,  in  their  turn,  would  become 
God's  good  seed,  to  sow  the  regions  beyond.  It 
is  a  very  remarkable  fact  that  the  native  converts, 
in  every  land  where  missions  have  been  estab- 
lished, have  within  one  generation  furnished,  on 
the  average,  five  times  as  many  evangeHsts,  teach- 


THE    WORK  OF  MISSIONS.  117 

ers,  and  native  helpers  as  the  original  missionary- 
force.  To-day,  out  of  somewhat  more  than  40,000, 
that  represent  the  total  force  of  the  workers  in 
mission  lands,  over  thirty-Jive  thousand  have  been 
raised  on  the  spot,  as  the  crop  of  missionary  labor. 
In  China,  India,  Africa,  the  South  Seas,  by  far  the 
bulk  of  all  evangelists  are  converted  natives.  And, 
if  the  Church  could  be  aroused  to  such  holy  effort 
as  would  once  insure  the  sowing  of  the  whole 
world-field,  within  fifty  years  the  number  of  native 
converts  that  would  take  up  the  work  of  missions 
among  their  own  countrymen  might  make  un- 
necessary all  foreign  missions  in  the  Church. 
Christian  nations  might  speedily  be  left  free  to 
turn  their  attention  to  developing  the  life  and 
power  of  the  Church  within  their  own  borders, 
and  to  evangehze  their  own  territory. 

Hence  again  appear  the  crime  and  folly  of  this 
long  delay.  Not  only  is  the  field  left  without  the 
seed  of  God ;  not  only  does  the  crisis  of  oppor- 
tunity pass,  and  generation  after  generation  perish 
without  God ;  but  we  are  losing  crop  after  crop 
that  would  furnish  seed  for  the  sower — nay,  would 
sow  itself^  and  soon  make  our  further  work  almost 
needless.  A  land  like  Japan  or  China  or  India, 
thoroughly  occupied  for  Christ,  once  sown  in  all 
its  exte?it  with  the  Gospel,  would  be  changed  from 
barrenness  to  fertility,  and  be  turned  into  a  field 
of  supply,  hke  some  vast  stretch  of  waste  land 
which  has  been  overgrown  with  tangled  thickets, 


Il8  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

prolific  thistles,  rankest  weeds,  and  poisonous 
creepers,  transformed  not  only  into  a  fruitful 
meadow,  but  into  a  gigantic  seed-farm,  from  which 
all  the  supplies  for  future  sowers  might  be  drawn  ! 

It  would  be  a  mistake  not  to  call  attention  to 
yet  another  of  those  marvellous  analogies  sug- 
gested by  this  figure,  used  by  our  Lord.  No 
crop  is  perfectly  developed  or  ripe  until  its  "  seed 
is  in  itself  after  its  kind."  Compare  again  these 
twin,  parables.  The  former  presents  four  kinds 
of  soil ;  in  the  first,  the  seed  gets  no  hold,  but  is 
borne  away  by  birds  of  the  air.  In  the  second, 
the  seed  gets  no  root,  and  soon  withers  away.  In 
the  third,  it  gets  hold  and  root,  but  no  roorn  ;  the 
soil  is  preoccupied  with  germs,  and  they  crowd 
the  good  seed :  the  consequence  is  that,  while  it 
lives  and  grows,  it  never  attains  perfection.  A 
long  thin  blade  shoots  up,  but  it  has  no  ear,  and 
so  no  full-grown  corn  in  the  ear.  It  has  in  itself 
no  seed  of  propagatioii  and  no  power  of  reproduc- 
tion :  there  may  be  straw,  but  not  grain — there  is 
root  and  blade,  but  no  ear  or  kernel. 

What  is  that  but  the  professed  disciple  who 
does  not  believe,  or  takes  no  part  in  missions  !  It 
would  perhaps  be  harsh  and  uncharitable  to  say 
that  such  are  not  believers ;  but,  if  so,  they  are  so 
choked  with  cares  of  this  world,  deceitfulness  of 
riches  and  lust  of  other  things,  that  they  bring  no 
fruit  to  perfection.  Life  everywhere,  in  plant  and 
animal,  shows  its  maturity  and  perfection  by  the 


THE    WORK  OF  MISSIONS.  119 

power  to  beget  other  life  like  itself.  And  hence 
the  disciple  that  does  not  make  disciples,  the 
Christian  that  has  no  passion  for  souls  and  no 
power  to  win  souls,  who  has  no  work  for  Christ, 
who  is  not  himself  a  seed  of  God  to  drop  into  the 
soil  and  yield  a  crop  of  other  holy  lives,  should 
candidly  ask  whether  indeed  he  is  himself  a  child 
of  God  ?  The  new  life  of  God  in  man  is  never 
fully  developed  until  it  becomes  hfe-producing, 
hfe-begetting.  Where  there  is  no  seed,  there  is 
probably  no  genuine  divine  plant. 

No  more  alarming  sign  exists  in  the  Church  of 
to-day  than  this,  that  so  small  a  part  of  our  church- 
members  ever  convert  a  soul  to  God !  With  all 
our  so-called  refinement,  education,  culture,  social 
influence,  the  Church  has  but  few  who  are  at 
work  for  souls,  and  who  will  at  last  bring  in  arm- 
fuls  of  sheaves. 

It  is  a  curious  fact  in  botany,  that  we  may 
cultivate  a  plant  until  we  destroy  the  ovaries  or 
seed-vessels,  so  that  the  plant  can  no  longer  prop- 
agate itself.  The  wild  rose,  for  example,  has  a 
fully  developed  ovary,  but  the  beautiful  double 
rose,  full  of  leaves  and  beauty,  the  crown  of  horti- 
culture, reveals  no  seed-vessel.  We  find  an  an- 
alogous fact  in  the  world  of  mankind.  There  is 
a  sort  of  culture  which  is  fatal  to  service.  It 
develops  a  fine  mind,  a  ready  tongue,  graceful 
manners,  a  beautiful  person,  but  there  is  no  love 
of  souls,  no  power  to  win  them — no  holy  self- 


I20  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE, 

propagating  seed  of  new  lives.  And,  while  the 
Church  perhaps  never  stood  so  high  as  now  in 
wealth,  in  culture,  in  commanding  worldly  in- 
fluence, it  is  only  here  and  there  one  blade  in 
God's  harvest-field  that  bears  the  ear  swelling  with 
the  full,  ripe  com  that  God  can  use  to  sow  His 
field,  and  bring  thirty,  sixty,  an  hundred  fold  re- 
turns ! 

We  seem  more  solicitous  about  large  crops  and 
thick  crops,  than  about  heavy  crops.  To  have  a 
great  church-roll  of  cultured,  distinguished  people, 
to  boast  of  numbers,  social  standing,  riches,  in- 
tellect, is  our  snare.  The  beloved  Moravians  that 
lead  the  van  of  the  missionary  host  have  no  pride 
of  numbers,  and  care  only  for  fruitfulness  in  ser- 
vice ;  and  the  genius  of  Herrnhut  finds  utterance 
in  their  Litany :  ''Fro?n  the  unhappy  desire  of  be- 
coming great,  gracious  Lord  and  God,  preserve 
us!" 

The  attentive  student  of  the  Word  of  God  will 
observe  a  progress  of  doctrine — an  unfolding  of 
the  Divine  purpose  as  to  missions.  The  Old 
Testament  type  of  piety  emphasizes  the  preserva- 
tion and  conservation  of  truth  and  goodness.  The 
New  Testament  lays  stress  rather  upon  the  pro- 
7nulgatio7i  and propagatio7i  of  the  Gospel.  To  the 
prophets  of  old,  the  body  of  believers  was  a  flock 
to  be  shepherded,  and  the  sacred  courts,  a  fold 
for  their  in-gathering.  But,  when  Christ  begins  to 
reveal  to  His  disciples  the  genius  of  the  new  age, 


THE    WORK  OF  MISSIONS.  I2I 

He  says,  "  Follow  me  and  I  will  make  you  Jis hers 
of  men  y  In  this  one  phrase,  "fishers  of  men," 
there  lies  a  little  world  of  suggestion.  While  a  fold 
suggests  the  Church,  and  the  sheep,  the  disciples, 
and  the  shepherd,  the  pastor  and  teacher ;  the  lake 
or  sea  suggests  the  world ;  the  fish,  the  unevangel- 
ized  and  unsaved ;  and  the  net,  the  means  of  grace 
by  which  they  are  to  be  surrounded,  and,  in  a 
blessed  sense,  ensnared,  or  taken  captive ;  and  the 
fisher  stands  for  the  evangelist  who  goes  to  tell  the 
Gospel  story  to  those  who  know  it  not.  Sheep 
are  not  to  be  caught^  but  fed :  fish  are  not  to  be 
fed,  but,  first  of  all,  caught.  In  the  New  Dis- 
pensation, whatever  prophetic  office  the  minister 
of  Christ  is  to  fulfil  in  shepherding  the  lambs  and 
feeding  the  sheep,  he  is  never  to  forget  that  the 
more  important  office,  certainly  the  more  emphatic 
function,  is  that  of  the  eva?igelist.  He  is  to  look 
for  h.\s  field,  therefore,  not  in  the  church,  alone,  or 
mainly  :  the  'field  is  the  world'' ;  and — as  we  shall 
have  occasion  often  to  repeat — beUevers,  far  from 
being  merely  plants  in  the  Lord's  garden,  to  be 
tended  by  Him,  absorbing  His  thought  and  care, 
are  themselves  the  ''  seed  of  the  Kingdom,"  to  be 
sown  in  that  broad  field  of  the  world,  as  the  germs 
of  a  new  harvest  for  God.  How  many  inteUigent 
disciples  there  are,  who  have  not  yet  gotten  from 
the  Old  Testament  into  the  New  !  They  still  think 
of  themselves  simply  as  the  objects  of  pastoral  care. 
They  are  the  Lord's  frail  plants,  and  not  a  few  of 


122  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

them  are  very  frail  and  need  a  great  deal  of  tend- 
ing. The  pastor  must  move  constantly  about 
among  them,  digging  about  their  roots,  gathering 
out  the  stones,  pulling  up  the  weeds,  watering 
them,  shielding  them  from  too  much  sunshine, 
plucking  away  their  dead  leaves,  pruning  away 
their  dead  twigs,  tying  up  their  drooping  stems 
against  a  support,  to  prevent  them  from  falling 
altogether  prostrate.  There  are  thousands  of  these 
sickly  plants,  that  never  grow  healthy  and  strong 
— in  fact,  the  very  means  taken  to  remedy  their 
feebleness  keeps  them  sickly  and  dependent.  And 
what  is  the  result  ?  Our  pastors  cannot  be  evan- 
gehsts :  it  takes  so  much  time  and  thought  to  care 
for  the  insiders  that  they  have  neither  time  nor 
strength  to  care  for  outsiders.  The  minister  of 
Christ  is  resolved — we  had  almost  said  dissolved — 
into  the  mere  shepJm-d^  and  ceases  to  be  in  any 
large  sense  2.  fisher  of  7nen. 

Beneath  the  very  shadow  of  our  church-spires  in 
our  great  cities,  the  "  great  majority  "  Hes,  almost 
utterly  neglected.  The  ''bitter  cry  of  outcast 
London  "  arises  unheard  and  unheeded  in  the  ears 
of  hundreds  of  church  members,  who  imagine  that 
they  have  done  their  duty  when  they  have  built 
churches,  hired  ministers,  and  then  themselves 
helped  to  fill  the  churches  and  claim  the  ministers 
as  their  own  hired  servants  !  And  if,  in  addition 
to  this,  they  ring  a  church-bell  and  announce  public 
worship,  and  provide  preaching,  they  are  not  to 


THE    WORK  OF  MISSIONS.  123 

blame  if  the  great  unwashed  majority  stay  away 
and  perish  in  dirt  and  sin  ! 

The  evil  we  are  exposing  and  rebuking  is  a 
radical  one — so  deep-seated  that  to  uproot  it  would 
overturn  the  very  soil  of  society.  Church  mem- 
bers selfishly  claim  the  minister,  and  even  the 
evangehst.  It  has  long  been  with  the  maturest 
disciples  a  question  whether,  in  our  Church  econ- 
omy, the  place  of  the  evangelist  has  not  been 
perverted.  Here,  in  our  great  cities,  from  one- 
half  to  two-thirds  of  the  poorer  workmen  live  in 
neglect  of  the  Gospel.  If  there  be  any  class  of 
home  heathen  that  has  a  claim  on  the  evangelist's 
labors,  it  is  those  who,  in  "  highways  and  hedges," 
do  not  yet  "  come  in."  It  is  to  them  that  our 
Lord  says,  ''Go ye.''  And  yet,  when  evangelists 
come  into  our  centres  of  population,  instead  of 
going  down  among  these  lost  souls  for  whom 
nobody  seems  to  care,  they  labor  for  the  most  part 
in  our  churches,  where  the  people  are  often  over- 
fed and  overfat  on  their  fare.  Nay,  to  assure  the 
more  eclat  and  enthusiasm  of  numbers,  from  three 
to  twenty  churches  will  unite,  and  call  an  evan- 
geHst  to  labor  among  them ;  and  then  Christians 
will  crowd  the  places  of  assembly  so  that  those 
who  are  not  habitual  hearers  would  find  but  little 
room  if  they  came. 

That  much  good  is  done  by  these  devoted  men, 
who  even  in  this  fashion  labor  as  evangehsts,  we 
are  not  disposed  to  deny.     But  whether  this  is 


124  THE   DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

the  normal  sphere  for  evangelistic  work,  we  more 
than  doubt.  During  thirty  years  of  pulpit  and 
pastoral  labor,  my  own  mind  has  been  more  and 
more  impressed  with  the  conviction  that,  instead  of 
the  Church's  needing  the  labor  of  an  evangelist  to 
supplement  that  of  the  faithful  pastor  among  his 
own  membership,  the  pastor  needs  to  reach  beyond 
his  own  flock  and  be  more  than  a  shepherd,  a 
*'  fisher  of  men,"  casting  his  net  into  the  wider  sea 
of  the  world  ;  and  that,  instead  of  encouraging  his 
people  to  think  of  themselves  as  plants  to  be  tilled, 
he  is  to  instruct  them,  in  God's  name,  that  they 
are  themselves  to  be  fellow-helpers  with  him  in  sow- 
ing the  whole  world  with  the  Gospel,  and  planting 
this  wide  field  with  behevers.  Nothing  needs  to  be 
emphasized  more,  in  this  Laodicean  age,  than  this, 
that  the  Church  is  not  the  ''field,''  but  the  ''force  "y 
not  the  object  of  the  labors  of  God's  husbandmen, 
but  itself  the  body  of  laborers  who  are  to  be  thrust 
forth  into  the  field,  which  is  the  world.  Until  this 
is  understood  and  felt,  and  practiced  upon — until, 
from  the  sphere  of  dim  and  distant  idealization,  it 
passes  into  prompt  and  practical  realization,  we 
shall  have  no  new  era  of  world-wide  missions ! 

The  whole  Church  of  God  should  be  a  great  body 
of  evangelists  ;  and,  instead  of  first  absorbing  pastor 
after  pastor,  and  then,  like  insatiate  sponges,  de- 
manding the  ministrations  of  evangelists  besides, 
church-members  should  say  to  their  minister :  "  Let 
us  alone,  and  go  after  the  lost;   when  we  need 


THE    WORK  OF  MISSIONS.  125 

you,  we  will  send  for  you  or  come  to  you ;  but  we 
leave  you  free  to  seek  the  unsaved,  and  whatever 
we  can  do  to  help  you,  we  are  ready  to  do.  Be 
our  leader  and  we  will  follow — lead  us  out  into  the 
world-field  and  set  us  at  work — lead  us  out  into 
the  battle-field  and  set  us  fighting."  What  a  new 
epoch  will  dawn  on  the  Church  and  on  the  world 
when  disciples  are  ready,  as  soon  as  they  have 
found  Jesus,  to  leave  even  His  immediate  presence 
and  go,  hke  Andrew  and  Philip,  to  find  a  Peter 
and  a  Nathanael  and  bring  them  to  Jesus ! 

We  have  not  touched  the  depths  of  this  great 
truth,  even  yet.  Every  witness  for  God  who  goes 
forth  to  sow  the  seed,  and  himself  become  seed  for 
this  harvest,  prepares  for  not  one  crop  alone,  but 
many  successive  crops.  And  remember  our  Lord's 
singular  words:  ''Thirty,  sixty,  an  hundred  fold." 
It  is  of  the  nature  of  crops  that  they  are  cumulative 
— successive  harvests  advance,  not  by  arithmetical, 
only,  but  by  geometrical,  progression.  Each  crop 
yields  seed  for  the  next,  and  every  seed  brings 
forth  an  ear,  with  seed  in  the  ear.  A  single  seed 
thus  yields  a  blade,  whose  ear  furnishes  thirty  fold  ; 
and  so  the  second  crop  is  nine  hundred  fold,  the 
third  crop  nearly  thirty  thousand  foM,  and  the 
fourth  crop  nearly  a  7niUion  fold,  upon  the  seed  first 
sown. 

Let  the  seed  and  its  harvest  become  to  us  God's 
own  parable  of  missions.  To  measure  the  fruit  of 
one  life,  or  even  of  one  witnessing  word  or  godly 


126  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE, 

deed,  we  must  stand  at  the  end  of  all  things,  when 
the  sheaves  of  the  last  harvest  are  garnered.  The 
immediate  results  of  a  hfe  of  labor  for  God  often 
seem  small ;  but  results  which  are  effects,  become 
in  their  turn  new  causes  for  new  effects,  and  so  the 
harvest  multiplies,  with  a  rapidity  so  marvellous, 
that  the  ultimate  outcome  of  a  single  Hfe  staggers 
not  only  faith,  but  imagination  itself !  Saul  the 
persecutor  voluntarily  tiuned  from  a  tempting 
worldly  career  to  become  Paul,  the  disciple  of  the 
Nazarene  and  the  apostle  of  the  Gentiles.  Not 
to  speak  of  the  glory  of  his  attainments,  who 
became  more  and  more  radiant  with  godlikeness 
''  as  he  neared  the  perihehon  point,"  look  at  his 
service  as  a  preacher,  a  winner  of  souls,  an  organ- 
izer of  churches,  a  writer  of  epistles ;  and  remember 
that  the  influence  of  his  character,  life,  and  writ- 
ings is  growing  with  every  new  year  of  Christian 
history ! 

An  example  may  help  us  to  form  some  slight 
conception  of  the  possible  fruit  of  one  godly  mis- 
sionary Hfe.  In  darkest  Africa,  in  Chitambo's  vil- 
lage in  Ilala,  beneath  a  moula  tree,  lies  buried  the 
heart  of  that  great  missionary  explorer,  of  whom 
Dr.  Blailde  aptly  says,  that  the  Romans  would 
have  surnamed  him  Livingstone  Africanus.  In 
his  rude  grass  hut  he  was  found,  at  four  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  not  in  bed,  but  kneeling  at  the 
bedside,  his  head  buried  in  his  hands,  and  both 
buried  in  the  piUow.     Without  attendant  or  com- 


THE    WORK  OF  MISSIONS.  127 

panion,  on  this  furthest  journey,  he  had,  hke 
Enoch,  been  translated  while  walking  with  God 
along  the  pathway  of  prayer.  But,  long  before  his 
pulseless  heart  had  been  deposited  beneath  that 
moula  tree,  that  heart  had  been  bicried  i?i  Africa 
for  Africa's  redemption.  And,  for  all  time  to 
come,  it  will  be  the  germ  and  seed  of  other  holy 
Hves,  both  among  the  sable  sons  of  that  dark 
continent  and  among  those  who  dwell  in  other 
climes. 

To-day  there  is  one  who  walks  among  princes, 
on  w^hose  breast  flash  the  shining  medals  of  high 
honor,  whose  praise  is  in  every  mouth,  and  whose 
well-earned  rewards  fall  about  him  like  a  rain  of 
gems — one  whom  History  already  crowns  as 
Africa's  great  explorer — whom  we  hope  History 
may  on  her  future  scroll  record  as  Africa's  greater 
emancipator. 

Henry  M.  Stanley  is  himself  but  one  fruit  of 
that  buried  heart  at  Ilala.  It  was,  according  to 
his  own  confession,  those  four  months  and  four 
days,  spent  in  the  same  tent  or  boat  with  David 
Livingstone,  which  made  of  that  intrepid  explorer 
a  new  man.  Mr.  E.  D.  Young  had  already  said 
of  that  lowly  spinner  of  Blant)n:e,  ''  He  was  the 
best  man  I  ever  knew."  But,  when  Stanley  sought 
to  pay  his  tribute  to  that  humble  missionary,  he 
could  find  no  words  adequate,  except  Pilate's  con- 
fession as  to  his  divine  Master,  ''I  find  710  fault 
in  this  man  /  "     Reviewing  these  months  of  com- 


128  THE   DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

panionship  with  Livingstone,  he  says  :  **  My  days 
seem  to  have  been  spent  in  an  Elysian  field ;  " 
and,  when  the  parting  hour  came,  and  he  sought 
by  one  long,  last  look  to  fix  those  blessed  features 
upon  his  memory,  Stanley  found  that  he  could  see 
but  dimly.  The  hero  of  a  hundred  battles,  with 
nerves  of  steel,  was  not  a  stranger  to  tears  when 
he  turned  away  from  the  man  who  was  the  great- 
est blessing  and  benefactor  of  his  life.  Already 
had  his  sceptical  habits  of  mind  found  their  over- 
whelming refuting  argument  in  that  saintly  life 
whose  every  lineament  was  vocal  with  godliness. 

Two  scenes  in  England's  famous  Abbey  have 
already  become  historic.  One  was  April  i8,  1874, 
when,  in  the  centre  of  the  nave,  the  dust  of  Africa's 
great  hero  was  laid  to  rest;  and  when  Stanley 
lifted  his  hand  from  the  pall  of  his  great  friend,  to 
lay  it  upon  his  unfinished  work,  and  that  same 
year  start  from  Zanzibar  to  explore  Equatoria. 
And  the  other  scene  was  July  12,  1890,  when,  as 
he  led  his  bride  to  the  altar,  the  marriage  proces- 
sion halted  to  lay  one  more  tribute  on  Livingstone's 
grave  in  token  of  the  debt  which  could  never  be 
paid !  And  yet  Henry  M.  Stanley  is  but  one 
fruit  of  that  buried  heart.  Who  shall  say  what 
harvests,  world-wide  and  enduring  as  eternity, 
shall  yet  wave,  as  the  product  of  the  seed  that  was 
sown  by  David  Livingstone  in  the  soil  of  Africa, 
when  he  ''buried  himself"  in  the  Dark  Conti- 
nent! 


THE    WORK  OF  MISSIONS,  129 

II.  We  are  also  represented  as  being  brought, 
in  the  work  of  missions,  into  close  fellowship  with 
Christ. 

The  language  used  by  Paul,  and  already  quoted, 
is  extraordinary.  Let  us  hear  again  his  words  : 
"  Who  now  rejoice  in  my  sufferings  for  you  and 
fill  up  that  which  is  behind  of  the  afflictions  of 
Christ  in  my  flesh  for  His  body's  sake,  which  is 
the  Church,  whereof  I  am  made  a  minister." 

Such  language  is  starthng :  it  suggests  a  sort  of 
incompleteness  in  the  sufferings  of  Christ,  a  lack 
which  only  the  disciple  can  fill.  To  understand 
this,  we  must  remember  that  the  redemptive  work 
advances  to  completeness  by  successive  stages. 
When  our  Saviour,  on  the  cross,  said,  "  It  is 
finished,"  "  atojiifig  death  "  was  complete.  When 
He  rose  from  the  di^did,  justify i?ig  work  was  com- 
plete. When  He  sent  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  applying 
agency  was  complete. 

But  one  more  step  must  be  taken.  The  cross, 
the  rent  tomb,  the  coming  Spirit,  needed  a  pro- 
claiming voice,  to  tell  of  Him  who  was  dehvered 
for  our  offences  and  rose  for  our  justification  ;  and 
to  be  the  mouth  of  the  inspiring  Spirit.  Three 
links  there  were  in  this  golden  chain  by  which  man 
and  God  are  to  be  reunited.  There  was  the  link 
which  the  cross  supplied  in  the  place  of  a  broken 
link  of  Law;  there  was  the  Hnk  that  the  Resur- 
rection supplied,  in  place  of  a  broken  link  of  Life; 
there  was  the  link  which  the  Holy  Spirit  suppHed 


ISO  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE, 

in  place  of  a  broken  link  of  Love;  but  still  the 
chain  did  not  reach  to  man.  It  was.  one  link 
short.  How  was  the  work  of  Christ  on  the  cross 
and  in  His  rising — how  was  the  power  of  the  Spirit 
in  His  coming,  to  lay  hold  on  men  !  Hear  this 
same  Paul :  ''  Whosoever  shall  call  on  the  name  of 
the  Lord  shall  be  saved.  How,  then,  shall  they 
call  on  Him  in  whom  they  have  not  believed  ? 
And  how  shall  they  beheve  in  Him  of  whom  they 
have  not  heard  ?  And  how  shall  they  hear  without 
a  preacher  %  And  how  shall  they  preach  except 
they  be  sent  ?  "  *  Give  us  the  Church,  moved  by 
passion  for  souls,  sending  forth  the  herald  and  wit- 
ness— give  us  the  herald  and  witness,  proclaiming 
everywhere  the  good  news ;  then  we  have  men 
hearing,  hearers  beHeving,  behevers  calling,  and 
being  saved. 

Will  any  one  tell  us  how,  without  this  last  link, 
the  other  three  are  to  reach  mankind  with  saving 
power?  Is  the  blood-stained  cross  to  plant  itself 
on  every  hill  and  in  every  valley,  and  then  the 
dumb  Tree  of  Curse  to  speak  to  men  of  Him  who 
on  that  cross  bore  their  sins  %  Is  the  sepulchre 
in  the  garden  to  transport  itself  into  the  regions 
beyond,  and  there  repeat  the  awful  scene  that 
made  angels  rejoice  and  demons  turn  pale  and 
soldier  guards  become  as  dead  men  ?  How  is  the 
Holy  Spirit  to  find  utterance  for  these  great  truths 
of  salvation,  except  through  believers  ? 
*  Rom,  X.  14, 15, 


THE    WORK  OF  MISSIONS.  131 

Paul  was  neither  extravagant  nor  irreverent; 
yes,  something  remains,  after  Christ's  finished  aton- 
ing passion  and  justifying  work, — after  even  the 
Spirit's  descent, — to  "///  tip  that  which  is  behind:' 
A  preacher,  a  witness,  who  is  cleansed  by  the 
blood,  justified  by  the  life  of  Christ,  renewed  by 
the  Spirit,  is  needful,  is  necessary,  if  all  this  stupen- 
dous display  of  grace  is  to  reach  the  unsaved  soul. 
The  believer  is  the  missing  link — add  this,  and 
God  the  Father,  Son,  Holy  Ghost,  brought  into 
close  contact  with  the  lost,  can  apply  the  blood, 
the  Word,  the  regenerating  power.  But,  while  this 
last  link  is  lacking,  what  is  to  secure  the  needful 
contact  and  connection  ? 

There  is  something  awful  and  overpowering 
about  this  truth.  Yet  it  is  not  too  high  to  be 
apprehended.  I  have  been  wont  as  a  pastor,  hke 
many  of  my  brethren,  to  seek,  in  every  case  of 
conversion,  to  trace  the  human  hnk  by  which  the 
new  soul  was  united  to  God.  I  have  never  yet 
found  one  case  where  some  human  agency  had 
not  been  used  by  God.  Some  godly  father  or 
mother,  sister  or  brother,  Sunday-school  teacher, 
pastor,  evangeHst ;  perhaps  a  stray  word  dropped 
by  the  way,  a  simple  invitation  to  a  church  service 
or  a  prayer-meeting,  a  tract  or  book  slipped  into 
the  hand — in  some  cases,  nothing  more  than  a  tear 
that  told  of  deep  fountains  of  feeling,  or  an  earnest 
look  in  which  the  soul  found  a  voice ;  but  alwaj's 
a  human  soul  somehow  coming  between  God  and 


132  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

another  soul  and  filling  up  that  which  would  other- 
wise be  lacking. 

We  are  not  prepared  to  say  that  this  rule  is  so 
universal  as  to  be  without  an  exception.  Mission- 
aries tell  strange  tales  of  souls  prepared,  like  Cor- 
nelius, for  the  visit  of  the  preacher,  before  he 
came ;  or  led  by  some  stray  copy  of  a  fragment  of 
the  New  Testament,  to  call  on  the  unknown  God. 
But,  even  here,  who  can  tell  what  human  agency, 
that  can  no  longer  be  traced,  has  left  its  footsteps 
on  heathen  soil — may  this  not  be  the  springing  up 
of  seed,  sown  in  darkness,  by  some  hand  now 
again  turned  to  dust  in  the  grave  ?  And  is  not 
the  very  Bible  itself  the  work  of  man,  though  it  be 
the  Word  of  God?  However  many  exceptions 
there  may  be^  even  exceptions  prove  the  rule,  and 
the  rule  is  that,  without  the  agency  of  beUevers, 
itnbelievers  are  not  made  believeis.  A  saved  soul 
always  comes  in  to  be  the  means  by  which  sinners 
are  turned  to  saints. 

It  is  the  old  story  of  rescue  repeated  on  a  more 
august  scale  of  appHcation.  God's  ladder  will  not 
reach  the  lost  in  this  House  of  Doom  unless  you 
add  your  own  length  to  the  ladder!  And  so,  as  we 
are  co-workers  with  the  Father,  we  are  co-sufferers 
with  the  Son.  His  cross  is  dumb.  His  tomb  is 
dumb,  until  we  give  to  them  a  voice.  We  are  to 
tell  men  how  He  died,  and  rose.  Even  the  Word 
of  God  needs  a  human  witness.  If  we  ask  the 
Ethiopian    eunuch  who   is  intently   reading   the 


THE   WORK  OF  MISSIONS.  133 

Messianic  poem  of  Isaiah,  "  Understandest  thou 
what  thou  readest  f "  he  answers :  "  How  can  I, 
except  some  man  should  guide  me?  Of  v/hom 
speaketh  the  prophet  this,  of  himself  or  of  some 
other  man  %  "  And  thus,  even  to  those  who  have 
the  Word  of  God,  there  is  needed  one  who  has 
learned,  by  experience,  to  interpret  that  Word  to 
others. 

Paul  uses  a  phrase  which  is  itself  an  interpreta- 
tion of  his  meaning :  "  For  His  body's  sake,  which 
is  the  Church."  In  a  body,  all  is  mutual  depend- 
ence and  interdependence.  ''  The  eye  cannot  say 
unto  the  hand,  I  have  no  need  of  thee ;  nor  again 
the  head  to  the  feet,  I  have  no  need  of  you;" 
*'nay,  much  more,  those  members  of  the  body 
which  seem  to  be  more  feeble  are  necessary."  * 
Here  is  the  Divine  parable  of  the  Body  of  Christ. 
That  body  is  one  with  many  members,  and  all, 
however  feeble,  uncomely,  less  honorable,  are 
necessary,  if  not  to  vitality,  at  least  to  vigor.  The 
hand  depends  on  the  feet,  and  both,  on  the  eyes 
and  ears.  Nay,  even  the  head  depends  on  the 
activity  of  the  members  over  which  it  presides. 
If  the  head  wills  to  go — how  can  it  unless  the  legs 
and  feet  bear  it  elsewhere — or,  if  it  would  have 
some  work  done  which  the  brain  devises,  how, 
unless  the  hands  produce  what  we  call  handi- 
work ?  We  have  an  exalted  "  Head  " — He  might 
have  been  divinely  independent  of  us ;  but,  when 

*  I.  Cor.  xii.  22. 


134  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

He  chose  to  be  Head  and  take  the  Church  for  His 
body,  He  chose  also  to  depend  on  the  co-operation 
of  the  humblest  member.  Henceforth,  even  the 
Head  cannot  say  to  the  feet — the  highest  to  the 
lowest — "  I  have  no  need  of  you  !  " 

Now,  whenever  beHevers  neglect  souls,  and,  for 
the  sake  of  their  own  indolence  and  indulgence, 
leave  the  lost  to  die  unsaved  and  unwarned,  there 
is  schistn  ifi  the  body — axLOfia, — rent,  division.  The 
head  yearns  to  reach  out  and  save,  but  the  great 
nerves  no  longer  act.  It  is  as  though  a  sharp 
blade  had  cut  through  the  spinal  cord,  and  motion, 
if  not  sensation,  is  gone ;  the  muscles  and  sinews 
no  longer  respond  to  the  will,  and,  in  sight  of  the 
lost,  the  body  stands  inactive. 

This  universal  evangelism  is  thus  necessary  alike 
to  accomphsh  the  will  of  God,  overtake  the  wants 
of  the  world,  and  energize  and  exercise  the  hfe  of 
the  Church.  It  is  the  one  thing  needful  from  any 
and  every  point  of  view.  If  missions  languish,  in 
so  far  God  and  man  part  company,  the  human 
race  sinks  lower  in  vice,  crime,  and  sin,  and  the 
Church  runs  the  risk,  not  of  apathy  only,  but  of 
a_postasy. 

Everything  else  depends  on  the  health,  strength, 
growth  of  the  Body  of  Christ.  As  soon  as  missions 
fall  into  neglect,  that  body  becomes  enfeebled; 
and  when  any  part  of  the  body  is  inactive  the  whole 
body  is  more  or  less  crippled,  if  not  paralyzed. 
No  truth  is  more  enforced  in  the  Word  than  the 


THE   WORK  OF  MISSIONS.  135 

unity  of  the  Body  of  Christ  *  We  are  taught  that 
both  development  and  activity  depend  on  the 
whole  body's  working  together.  Both  edification 
and  evangelization  demand  that  "  the  whole  body, 
fitly  joined  together  and  compacted  by  that  which 
every  joint  supplieth,  according  to  the  effectual 
working  in  the  measure  of  every  part,  maketh 
increase  of  the  body  unto  the  edifying  of  itself  in 
love."  t 

As  Mr.  Hudson  Taylor  well  says,  one  may  stand 
near  a  burning  house  or  sinking  ship  and  yearn  to 
save  those  who  are  in  danger  of  death ;  but  by  no 
possibihty  can  the  outstretched  arms  reach  one 
that  is  a  yard  and  a  half  away,  unless  the  legs  and 
feet  carry  the  whole  body  forward  to  the  scene  of 
action.  It  is  comparatively  in  vain  that  a  few 
members  of  the  Church,  which  is  Christ's  Body, 
seek  to  be  heroic  in  self-sacrifice  for  the  lost,  and 
to  uplift  and  redeem  heathen  and  pagan  peoples, 
while  the  Church  as  a  whole  is  idle  and  indifferent. 
The  best  effort  is  both  restrained  and  restricted, 
and  there  can  be  no  large  outreach,  no  strong 
uphft ;  the  most  consecrated  missionary  band 
finds,  in  an  apathetic  Church  at  home,  a  hindrance 
more  fatal  to  success  than  the  most  violent  opposi- 
tion where  Satan's  strongholds  stand. 

Never   yet — certainly  not   since  the  apostolic 
age — has  the  whole  body  moved  together  in  the 
*  Rom.  xii.  ;  I.  Cor.  xii. ;  Eph.  iv. 
f  Ephesians  iv.  16. 


136  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

direction  of  missions.  Whatever  reaching  out 
there  may  have  been  on  the  part  of  some  of  the 
more  active  and  vigorous  members,  the  body,  as 
such,  moves  very  slowly,  if  indeed  it  is  not  stand- 
ing still.  The  Christian  Church  has  volume  of 
voice  enough  to  make  the  whole  earth  hear  the 
Gospel  message,  if  the  whole  capacity  of  that  voice 
were  but  used ;  and  if  the  whole  energy  of  that 
body  were  once  put  forth  the  results  would  be 
astounding. 

Wherever  there  is  a  true  passion  for  souls  and 
a  will  to  co-operate  with,  God,  no  beUever  can  be 
kept  idle  by  any  felt  incapacity,  or  by  the  iron 
bonds  of  ''circumstances."  Tabitha  may  have 
been  a  bed-ridden  cripple,  to  whom  nothing  was 
left  as  a  means  of  serving  but  her  hands.  But  she 
could  hold  a  needle,  and  that  needle  was  the  angel 
of  God  to  the  poor  orphans  and  widows  of  Joppa, 
and  has  been  the  suggestion  of  Dorcas  societies 
ever  since. 

There  is  in  Matthew  x.  41  a  remarkable  word 
of  promise  :  **  He  that  receiveth  a  prophet  in  the 
name  of  a  prophet  shall  receive  a  prophet's  re- 
ward." To  the  Jew  the  prophet  outranked  both 
priest  and  king — because,  while  they  represented 
man  before  God,  he^  the  prophet,  represented  God 
to  man,  the  medium  of  divine  communication. 
Hence  a  prophet's  reward  was  regarded  as  highest. 
And  it  is  noticeable  that  the  only  two  human 
beings  ever  translated  without  death  were  Enoch 


THE  WORK  OF  MISSIONS.  13  7 

and  Elijah,  two  prophets.  Our  Lord  says  tliat  to 
receive  a  prophet  for  his  office'  sake  is  to  receive  a 
prophefs  reward ^  i.e.,  to  rank  as  a  prophet,  and 
share  his  recompense.  This  is  a  wonderful  unfold- 
ing of  God's  method  of  administering  rewards. 
But  there  is  a  divine  philosophy  in  it.  A  prophet, 
however  charged  with  a  divine  message  and  the 
Divine  Spirit,  is  but  a  man — compassed  about 
with  human  infirmities  and  Hmitations.  He  has 
but  the  voice,  the  strength,  the  power,  the  life,  of 
one  man.  You  are  not  a  prophet,  but  suppose  you 
do,  and  can  do,  no  more  than  7nake  that  prophet  a 
greater  power.  You  can  welcome  him  to  your 
home  with  a  generous  hospitality;  your  board 
feeds  his  hunger  and  quenches  his  thirst ;  yoiu*  bed 
rests  him  when  weary,  your  sympathy  cheers  him 
when  despondent ;  your  love  and  kindly  ministry 
put  new  vigor  in  his  frame,  new  hght  in  his  eye, 
new  force  in  his  voice,  new  courage  in  his  heart. 
He  feels  stronger  and  hves  longer  because  you 
have  been  to  him  a  source  of  help  and  hope. 
Have  you  not  really  shared  his  work,  and  is  it  not 
meet  that  you  share  his  reward  ? 

We  may  borrow  from  the  two  Testaments  fa- 
vorite forms  of  figure,  given  to  illustrate  God's 
thought ;  the  trumpet  in  the  Old,  the  lamp-stand 
in  the  New.  What  is  a  trumpet  but  a  mere  means 
of  adding  volume  to  the  voice,  so  that  he  who, 
otherwise,  could  reach  but  a  few  hundreds,  may 
now  speak  with  power  to  hundreds  of  thousands  ? 


138  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

What  is  a  lamp-stand  but  an  arrangement  for  rais- 
ing a  bm'ning  lamp  so  that  its  ray  may  pierce  the 
darkness  more  effectually,  by  being  hfted  above 
obstructions  % 

The  body  of  behevers  constitutes  a  trumpet,  to 
give  to  the  voice  of  the  preacher  penetrating  power 
— a  lamp-stand,  to  Hft  the  light  of  testimony  so 
that  it  may  shine  farther.  And,  as  every  atom  of 
the  trumpet  or  lamp-stand  contributes  to  the  result, 
so  every  true  believer  helps  to  make  the  Gospel 
message  and  the  Gospel  witness  sound  louder  and 
reach  the  farther.  The  dumb  man  may  thus  help 
the  speech  of  others  to  be  heard,  and  the  most 
obscure  disciple  help  to  lift  others  to  a  higher  level 
of  service.  And  so,  "  if  there  be  first  a  wiUing 
mind  it  is  accepted  according  to  that  a  man  hath, 
and  not  according  to  that  he  hath  not."  Nothing 
can  prevent  you  from  being,  if  you  will,  a  mis- 
sionary, a  prophet,  a  burning  and  shining  hght — 
in  God's  eyes,  you  are  what,  with  all  your  heart, 
you  will  to  he;  and  the  work  you  will  to  do,  but 
cannot,  is  the  work  which  to  Him  you  do  and  for 
which  you  are  rewarded. 

An  example  from  history  may  help  to  make  this 
plain.  While  Livingstone  was  in  Africa,  a  Mrs. 
McRobert  of  Scotland,  unable  in  person  to  share 
his  toils,  sought  prayerfully  to  help  his  labors 
to  greater  effectiveness.  She  had  saved  twelve 
pounds,  and  gave  her  consecrated  offering  to  him 
that  he  might  hire  a  native  African  as  a  body- 


THE   WORK  OF  MISSIONS.  139 

servant.  This  good  woman  received  God's  prophet 
in  the  name  of  a  prophet.  She  sought  to  promote 
his  comfort,  spare  him  needless  toil  and  the  ex- 
haustion and  exposure  that  might  bring  a  fatal 
strain  to  mind  and  body  amid  African  wilds. 
Livingstone  used  the  gift  to  hire  the  faithful 
Mebalwe ;  and,  when  at  Mabotsa,  a  lion  seized 
Livingstone  by  the  shoulder,  tore  his  flesh  and 
crushed  his  bone,  there  seemed  no  hope  for  his  life 
except  God  should  work  a  miracle.  While  that 
beast's  paw  was  on  his  head,  Mebalwe,  that  native 
teacher,  diverted  the  lion's  attention  from  his 
master  to  himself  and  risked,  as  he  nearly  lost, 
his  own  life,  to  save  that  of  Livingstone.  How 
little  did  that  humble  Scotch  woman  foresee  that 
her  twelve  pounds  would  indirectly  be  blessed  to 
the  prolonging  of  that  priceless  hfe  for  the  toils 
and  triumphs  of  thirty  more  years !  And  who 
shall  dare  to  say  that  Mrs.  Mc Robert  was  not,  in 
God's  eyes,  a  sharer  in  the  wonderful  work  which 
he  was  spared  to  do  in  opening  Equatoria  ?  Who 
shall  presume  to  say  that  she  who  received  a 
prophet  for  his  office's  sake,  and  after  her  manner 
and  means  helped  him  in  his  work  after  a  godly 
sort,  is  not  a  sharer  also  in  his  reward?  That 
twelve  pounds  made  Mrs.  McRobert  joint  owner 
in  those  thirty  years,  with  all  their  glorious  fruit. 
Through  David  Livingstone  she  lived  and  wrought 
among  Africa's  sable  children. 

Ah,  ye  who  live  at  home  and  sigh  for  larger 


140  THE  DIVINE   ENTERPRISE, 

service — ye  whose  are  the  silver  and  the  gold, 
and  the  rich  jewels  of  the  cradle — what  if  you, 
who  cannot  yourselves  ^^,  would  send  I  What  if 
the  fruit  of  your  grounds,  and  brains,  and  the 
more  sacred  fruit  of  your  bodies,  were  given  to 
God  !  How  many  large  gifts  would  fill  missionary 
treasuries  to  overflowing  and  make  missionary 
hearts  swell  with  even  fuller  hope  and  joy  !  How 
many  small  gifts,  bestowed  out  of  the  abundance 
of  poverty,  with  self-sacrifice  and  prayer,  like  seed 
steeped  in  tears,  God  would  use  as  He  knows 
how,  as  the  germs  of  a  great  harvest !  How 
many  children,  begotten  in  prayer,  filled  with  the 
Holy  Ghost  even  from  the  womb,  would  be  sent 
forth  from  homes  that  had  nothing  else  to  give, 
and  make  parents  partakers  in  the  prophet's  work 
and  reward,  by  the  giving  of  Samuels  and  Johns 
and  Timothys  to  the  work ! 

God  invites  us  all  to  join  Him  in  the  work  of 
missions.  And  once  again,  with  solemn  intensity 
of  emphatic  conviction,  I  record  the  growing,  life- 
long conviction,  that  the  supreme  charm  of  mis- 
sions is  that  it  represents  God's  own  march  through 
history ;  and  that,  therefore,  he  who  is  most  en- 
amored and  engrossed  of  this  work  of  giving  the 
Gospel  to  the  destitute  milHons  of  the  race,  is  most 
closely  in  link  with  God  and  in  Hne  with  His 
march.  There  are  modem  Enochs  and  Elijahs 
whose  close  walk  with  God  invites  translation  :  they 
are  the  Careys,  the  Morrisons,  the  Livingstones, 


THE   WORK  OF  MISSIONS,  141 

the  Hanningtons,  the  Judsons,  the  Williamses, 
the  Hunts,  the  Pattesons,  whose  absorbing  pas- 
sion is  Christ  and  He  alone — and  who  in  the 
sublime  work  of  world-wide  witness  join  the 
Triune  God  in  winning  the  world  for  Immanuel. 

This  explains  the  promise  of  Christ's  personal 
presence  with  the  witnessing  host.  The  last  com- 
mand, "  Go  ye  into  all  the  world,"  is  very  emphatic, 
but  not  less  marked  are  the  preface  and  the  con- 
clusion between  which  it  stands.  Before  it  is  the 
declaration :  ''AH  power  is  given  unto  me  in 
heaven  and  in  earth;"  after  it,  the  prophecy  and 
promise :  "  Lo  I  am  with  you  alway,  even  unto 
the  end  of  the  age,"  By  no  accident  is  it  that 
the  perpetual  command,  "  Go  ye — make  disciples 
of  all  nations,"  is  placed  between  this  declaration 
and  this  promise :  they  are  the  buttresses  of 
adamant  by  which  that  commission  is  supported. 
In  that  word,  ''  Therefore,"  all  the  logic  of  mis- 
sions is  centred.  Our  Lord  says,  "  Because  the 
All-Power  is  mine,  and  my  All-Presence  is  yours, 
all  the  days,  even  to  the  end  of  the  age,  there- 
fore go  ye  into  all  the  world,"  etc.  And,  so  far 
and  so  fast  as  the  Chiu-ch  obeys,  and  goes  every- 
where and  to  every  creature  with  the  Gospel  mes- 
sage, the  All-Power  will  be  manifested  and  the  All- 
Presence  enjoyed ! 

We  need  then  to  think  of  Christian  missions  as 
pre-eminently  God's  work — and  ours,  because  it 
is  God's  and  we  are  His  and  workers   together 


142  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

with  Him,  permitted  to  share  this  supreme  priv- 
ilege. The  power  and  energy  are  not  therefore 
human,  but  divine,  and  in  any  and  every  exigency 
we  have  but  to  appeal  to  Him,  get  new  courage 
and  confidence  in  the  secret  place  of  prayer ;  and, 
because  His  trumpet  never  sounds  retreat,  we 
shall  never  take  a  step  backward,  but  always  for- 
ward ;  and  even  those  steps  which  seem  backward, 
if  we  are  following  Him,  are  really  advances,  as 
waves  recede  only  to  rise  to  a  higher  flood-mark. 
III.  Our  survey  would  be  very  incomplete 
without  at  least  a  glance  at  the  believer's  co-opera- 
tion with  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  Spirit  was  especially 
promised  as  Christ's  witness.  ''He  shall  testify  of 
me,"  and  will  "  guide  you  into  all  truth  "  ;  for  "  He 
shall  not  speak  of  Himself,  but  whatsoever  He  shall 
hear  that  shall  He  speak  " ;  and  ''He  will  shew 
you  things  to  come."  "  He  shall  glorify  me  ;  for 
He  shall  receive  of  mine  and  shall  shew  it  unto 
you."  This  language  is  explicit.*  The  peculiar 
office  of  the  Holy  Ghost  is  testimony  to  Christ ; 
and,  like  any  other  true  witness,  He  does  not 
speak  of  Himself,  testify  to  Himself,  or  glorify 
Himself.  He  brings  Christ  forward  into  prom- 
inence— His  person  and  character.  His  obedient 
life  and  vicarious  death,  His  resuiTection,  ascen- 
sion, and  second  coming.  He  testifies  to  Him, 
before  He  comes,  by  the  prophets  He  inspired ; 
then  He  testifies  to  Him,  when  He  comes,  by  the 

*  John  xiv.,  XV.,  xvi. 


'■  THE   WORK  OF  MISSIONS.  143 

evangelists  whom  He  guided  and  whose  memories 
He  quickened ;  and  so  to  each  new  believer  He 
continues  to  open  the  word  and  unveil  Christ's 
blessed  person,  and  in  the  heart  disclose  His  power 
to  save  and  sanctify,  and  so  to  witness  to  Christ 
still. 

Our  Lord  says :  ''And  ye  also  shall  bear  wit- 
ness* " ;  it  is  in  the  Greek,  the  same  word  as  that 
applied  to  the  Spirit.  In  what  sense  is  this  co- 
witness  true? 

Of  course  there  was  a  special  sense  in  which 
those  early  apostles  and  disciples  witnessed  to 
Christ,  because  they  had  from  the  beginning  been 
with  Him,  and  could  testify  to  His  words  and 
works.  His  life  and  death  and  resurrection  and 
ascension.  But  we  have  now  to  do  with  the  wider 
question — of  the  co-witnessing  in  which  all  true 
believers  share  ;  and  in  its  way  it  is  fully  as  impor- 
tant as  the  other.  First  of  all,  the  behever  testifies 
with  the  Holy  Ghost  to  the  power  of  Christ,  as  a 
personal  and  present  Saviour.  And  it  is  no 
irreverence  to  say  that  believers  can  bear  witness 
to  some  truths  which  even  the  Spirit  of  God  can- 
not so  effectually  attest.  He  can  hold  up  the 
Christ  of  prophecy  and  the  Christ  of  history — 
present  Him  on  the  cross  and  on  the  throne ;  and 
keep  Him  before  our  eyes  as  the  object  of  admir- 
ing, adoring  Love.  But  the  Holy  Spirit  knows 
nothing  of  sin  and  salvation  from  sin  ;  and,  unlike 
*  John  XV,  25-27  ;  Acts  v.  32. 


144  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE, 

Christ,  having  never  taken  upon  him  our  nature, 
knows  nothing  of  our  infirmities  and  temptations 
as  one  who  has  suffered  in  the  flesh.  The  Holy 
Spirit,  therefore,  needs  and  requires  the  believer 
to  witness,  from  personal  knowledge,  to  the  actual 
work  of  Christ  /;/  the  soul,  as  He  Himself  witnesses 
to  His  work/?r  the  soul. 

We  may  pass  this  obvious  thought,  in  order  to 
develop  another,  far  less  obvious,  but  perhaps 
more  important.  The  Holy  Spirit  needs  beheving 
witnesses  as  the  channels  of  His  utterances  and  the 
vehicles  of  His  Power  and  grace  to  unbelieving 
souls. 

When  our  Lord  first  brings  out  clearly  the  work 
of  the  Spirit,  He  expressly  says,  ''  I  will  pray  the 
Father  and  He  shall  give  you  another  Comforter 
that  He  may  abide  with  you  forever ;  even  the 
Spirit  of  Truth,  whom  the  world  cannot  receive^ 
because  it  seeth  Him  not,  neither  knoweth  Him ; 
but  ye  know  Him,  for  He  dwelleth  with  you  and 
shall  be  in  you."  *  Paul  reminds  the  Corinthians 
that,  the  natural  man  does  not  receive,  and  cannot 
discern,  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God ;  t  and  that 
even  to  the  princely  intellects  of  this  world  the 
wisdom  of  God  is  foohshness. 

The  remarkable  and  emphatic  testimony  of  these 

and  kindred  passages  is  that  the  Holy  Spirit,  who 

is   perceived  and   recognized   by  disciples;  who 

dwells  with  and  abides  in  them,  and  is  by  them 

*  John  xiv.  i6,  17.     f  I.  Cor.  ii.  12. 


THE   WORK  OF  MISSIONS.  145 

received  and  known,  is  not  in  unbelievers,  and  is 
not  by  them  either  perceived  or  received,  and 
cannot  be.  And,  yet,  we  are  taught  with  equal 
exphcitness  that,  unless  by  the  Spirit  of  God  men 
are  convinced  of  the  sin  of  unbelief,  are  renewed 
in  mind  and  heart  and  v/ill,  are  born  again  from 
above,  and  made  new  creatures  in  Christ  Jesus, 
they  cannot  enter,  or  even  see,  the  kingdom  of 
God.  At  this  paradox  many  have  stumbled.  The 
Spirit  of  God  must  work  a  saving  and  radical 
change  in  the  natural  and  carnal  man,  and  yet 
such  a  man  is  incapable  of  either  receiving  the 
Spirit  or  even  knowing  His  nature. 

There  is  but  one  way  to  explain  this  enigma  or 
resolve  this  paradox — the  Holy  Ghost  reaches 
iifigodly  souls  through  the  godly.  He  dwells  in, 
and  works  through,  believers.  He  cannot  abide 
in  a  sinful  and  unbelieving  heart,  but  He  can 
dwell  with  him  who  is  of  a  humble  and  contrite 
spirit  and  trembleth  at  the  Word  of  God;  and 
can  use  his  faith  and  utterance  and  experience 
and  witness,  to  lead  unsaved  souls  to  repentance 
and  faith.  Christ  said  to  the  woman  at  the  well, 
"Whoso  drinketh  of  the  water  that  I  shall  give 
him,  it  shall  be  in  him  a  well  of  water,  springing 
up  into  everlasting  life."  Mark  the  rapid  progress 
of  thought :  first  a  draught  of  living  water  received 
— then  a  zvell  or  spring  of  water  opened  and 
gushing  up  within — then  a  stream  of  water  flowing 
out.     The  believer  first  drinks — then  becomes  a 


146  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

spring,  and  then  a  channel  for  the  outflow.  And 
so  that  woman  no  sooner  drank,  than  the  new 
spring  of  Hfe  sent  out  its  waters  even  to  the  thirsty- 
souls  of  Sychar.  Again,  at  the  Feast  of  Taber- 
nacles, as  the  water  from  Siloam  was  poured  out 
on  the  morning  sacrifice,  Christ  cried  aloud,  "  He 
that  believeth  on  me,  out  of  his  belly  shall  flow 
rivers  of  living  water — this  spake  He  of  the  Spirit 
which  they  that  believe  on  Him  should  receive." 

Now  to  what  purpose  does  the  spring  send  forth 
streams,  but  to  quench  the  thirst  of  the  needy  ? 
Why  does  the  Holy  Spirit  make  the  believer  a 
fountain  of  life,  but  to  flow  through  him  to  the 
souls  of  the  dying!  Here  is  the  grand  mystery 
of  this  fellowship  with  the  Holy  Ghost:  He 
chooses  to  employ  human  vessels  and  channels 
for  conveying  His  own  power  and  grace. 

If  the  New  Testament  be  carefully  examined, 
it  will  be  found,  in  almost  if  not  quite  every  in- 
stance of  conversion,  that  the  Holy  Spirit  used  a 
believer  as  His  instrument.  Andrew  was  used  to 
reach  Peter ;  Philip,  to  reach  Nathanael ;  Philip 
the  Evangelist,  to  teach  the  eunuch;  even  Saul 
probably  got  his  first  impressions  from  the  dying 
Stephen.  Peter  became  the  channel  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  to  Cornelius  and  his  kinsmen  and  friends. 
Paul  and  Silas  were  the  vehicles  of  communication 
with  the  Philippian  jailer;  and,  in  brief,  in  the 
whole  work  of  the  Spirit  upon  unbelieving  souls, 
He  appears  to  have  been  dependent  upon  believers 


THE  WORK  OF  MISSIONS.  I47 

as  media  of  impression  and  communication.  So 
far  as  we  know,  in  all  His  ordinary  workings, 
human  agency  is  indispensable  to  the  completeness 
of  His  operations. 

While  we  carelessly  say  that  the  ''  Spirit  of  God 
strives  with  ungodly  men,  moves  in  their  hearts, 
is  influencing  their  conscience  and  conduct,"  have 
we  any  warrant  for  affirming  that  the  Holy  Ghost 
in  any  case  dispenses  absolutely  with  this  agency 
of  the  disciple  f  or  if  He  ever  does,  is  it  not,  as  we 
have  said,  so  rare  as  to  constitute  an  exception  ? 

In  the  inception  of  the  work  in  Japan,  it  is  said 
that  the  first  six  converts  to  the  Christian  faith 
were  the  consequence  of  picking  up  a  stray  copy 
of  a  Testament  that  was  found  floating  in  the  Bay 
of  Yeddo,  and  of  the  inquiry  thus  aroused ;  and 
that,  before  the  first  missionary  had  landed  on  those 
shores,  the  Holy  Spirit  had  led  these  natives  to  the 
knowledge  of  Cliiist.  But  even  here,  exceptional 
as  was  this  case,  the  Gospel  narratives  which  were 
thus  blessed  to  the  conversion  of  souls  were  the 
work  of  human  pens,  witnessing  to  Christ. 

The  bearing  of  these  thoughts  on  missions  is 
vitally  important.  We  pray  for  the  Holy  Spirit  to 
"  descend  upon  all  people,"  even  upon  those  among 
whom  no  laborers  have  yet  gone.  How  much  war- 
rant have  we  for  such  prayer  ?  What  if  no  blessing 
can  come  to  the  souls  in  inland  China  or  interior 
Africa,  in  the  Soudan  and  in  Thibet,  until  believers 
are  there  as  chaiinels  of  blessing  I     What  if  this  be 


148  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

our  Lord's  meaning,  that  the  Gospel  must  be  first 
preached  as  a  witness,  by  a  witnessing  Chmxh 
among  all  nations,  before  the  end  comes  !  What 
if  the  one  condition  of  the  Spirit's  descent  "on  all 
flesh  "  be  that  God's  witnesses  must  be  wherever 
"all  flesh"  is  found,  to  become  the  medium  for 
such  descending  blessing — to  call  it  down,  and  to 
receive,  recognize,  and  convey  it  when  it  comes  ! 

Let  this  very  remarkable  fact  be  duly  empha- 
sized that,  in  the  whole  course  of  missionary  history, 
no  people  have  ever  been  brought  to  salvation ; 
and,  so  far  as  we  know,  no  individuals  have  re- 
ceived the  Spirit  of  God,  until  some  one  or  more 
of  God's  messengers  have  been  a??wfig  them,  either 
in  person  or  through  the  products  of  their  pen. 
Some  wandering  evangehst,  colporteur,^  tract  dis- 
tributor— it  may  be  some  simple  unlettered  dis- 
ciple— has  passed  that  way ;  a  Bible,  a  tract,  a  word 
of  counsel,  a  prayer,  a  testimony  has  been  left  be- 
hind ;  and,  years  after  it  may  be,  blessing  has  come. 
But  the  records  of  missionary  biography  and  his- 
tory may  be  searched  in  vain,  to  find  a  modern 
Pentecost  without  some  Peter  or  Paul,  some 
Dorcas  or  Lydia,  some  Philip  or  Priscilla,  or  at 
least  some  obscure  human  instrumentality,  to  be- 
come a  receiving  and  distributing  reservoir  for  the 
water  of  hfe ! 

It  is  this  deep  conviction  that  the  Spirit  of  God 
will  not  accomplish  His  sacred  travail  for  souls, 
until   believers   are    everywhere   present   as    His 


THE   WORK  or  MISSIONS.  149 

human  agents,  that  leads  me  to  press,  with  persist- 
ent exhortation  and  entreaty,  the  immediate  and 
world-wide  scattering  of  missionaries.  While  we 
concentrate  our  forces  in  a  few  fields  we  may  in- 
deed insure  blessing  to  those  fields — but  we  are 
rendering  blessing  impossible  where  there  are  no 
laborers.  If  the  Church  would  but  obey  her  Lord, 
and  take  whatever  men  and  means  are  at  her 
disposal  and  distribute  them  over  the  whole  world- 
field,  the  most  important  condition  would  be  sup- 
pHed  for  an  out-pouring  of  the  Spirit  on  all  flesh, 
because  in  every  part  of  the  habitable  earth  some 
of  Christ's  witnesses  would  be  found ! 

Such  thoughts  may  well  absorb  and  entrance  us. 
They  set  the  ministry  of  missions  in  a  new  hght. 
Round  about  the  lowliest  sphere  of  work  for  God, 
a  rainbow  bends,  like  that  which  curves  its  sacred 
bow  about  His  throne.  It  gilds  and  glorifies  the 
darkest  cloud  of  trial,  and  turns  even  tears  of  an- 
guish into  radiant  prisms  of  promise.  In  remotest 
regions  beyond, — in  inland  China  or  darkest  Africa, 
there  may  be  those  who,  unknown  and  unobserved 
of  men,  toil  hard  to  teach  the  ignorant  and  to  save 
the  lost ;  but  there  is  not  one  of  them  all  who  is 
not  intimately  sharing  the  work  of  the  Blessed 
Trinity,  actually  supplying  some  lacking  instru- 
mentahty  or  agency,  necessary  to  fill  up  to  com- 
pleteness, and  carry  to  success,  that  divine  work. 
How  important  even  the  most  obscure  worker  is, 
only  eternity  can  show. 


150  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

The  work  of  witnessing  derives  its  principal 
charm  from  its  close  association  with  God.  When, 
in  that  eleventh  chapter  of  Hebrews — that  "  West- 
minster Abbey  of  Old  Testament  Saints," — Paul 
gives  examples  of  the  witness-bearers  of  past  ages, 
next  to  Abel,  the  first  martyr,  comes  Enoch,  whose 
brief  record  was  :  "And  Enoch  walked  with  God." 
All  witnessing  to  God  is  walking  with  Him ;  and 
to  bear  witness  to  Him  is  to  have  Him  bear  wit- 
ness to  us,  as  He  did  to  Enoch,  who,  before  his 
translation,  ''had  this  testimony  that  he  pleased 
God."  This  is,  of  itself,  the  all-sufficient  reward 
and  recompense  of  our  vfork  for  Him:  it  is  also 
work  with  Him,  and  brings  us  into  close  and 
conscious  fellowship  with  Him.  When  we  under- 
take this  world-wide  witness  to  Christ,  He  comes 
and  walks  beside  us,  and  His  personal  presence 
becomes  our  heaven.  And,  like  Thomas  of 
Aquino,  when  offered  our  choice  of  a  reward  for 
service,  we  could  answer,  ''Non  alium  nisi  Te, 
D online. ^^ 


IV. 

THE   DIVINE  SPIRIT  OF   MISSIONS. 

ORD  LYTTON  called  color,  ''visible 
music."  To  study  missions  and  become 
absorbed  in  this  work,  is  to  find  in  it  the 
fullest  visible  expression  of  the  invisible  Spirit  of 
God,  the  incarnation  of  godliness. 

Some  motives  and  impulses  belong  to  a  low 
level,  such  as  those  which  spring  from  appetite, 
avarice,  and  ambition,  the  lust  of  the  flesh,  the 
lust  of  the  eyes,  and  the  pride  of  Hfe.  One  needs 
to  be  scarce  more  than  an  animal,  at  most  an  in- 
tellectual animal,  to  feel  the  sway  of  such  aims  as 
belong  to  our  grosser  nature. 

Rising  a  httle  in  the  scale  of  motives,  we  reach 
a  class  that  belong  to  a  higher  level,  such  as  spring 
from  man  as  a  member  of  the  household,  of  society, 
of  the  state,  of  the  human  brotherhood.  We  call 
these  impulses  domestic,  patriotic,  philanthropic. 
Self-love,  if  not  selfishness,  is  largely  mixed  up 
with  these  three  measures  of  meal,  and  leavens 
the  whole  lump.  No  human  being  who  guards 
self-interest  can  be  indifferent  to  the  purity  and 
harmony  of  the  family,  the  unity  and  prosperity 
of  the  state,  or  the  progress  and  welfare  of  man 


152  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

as  man.  We  are  not  independent  of  each  other, 
but  dependent  members  of  one  body. 

To  a  yet  higher  level  of  motive,  which  few  reach, 
it  is  now  my  privilege  to  point — may  I  not  also 
say? — lead,  my  readers.  But  let  us  understand, 
beforehand,  that  this  is  an  altitude  in  which  the 
worldly  and  the  carnal  nature  can  no  longer  breathe 
freely.  Such  a  height  has  an  atmosphere  of  its 
own,  too  pure,  too  rare,  for  sensual,  sordid,  selfish 
souls  to  inspire.  And,  of  those  who  have  climbed 
to  those  lofty  heights,  and  there  abide,  there  is 
but  one  possible  explanation :  it  is  because  God 
hath  given  them  of  His  Spirit.  The  spirit  of 
missions  is  not  only  akin  to  the  Spirit  of  Christ : 
it  is  the  Spirit  of  Christ.  And  we  shall  now  try 
to  find  what  it  is  which,  in  the  missionary  spirit, 
constitutes  the  divine  and  Christlike  element,  to 
which  so  few  really  attain. 

Our  inquiry  touches  the  work  of  missions  at  its 
root :  ''As  a  man  thinketh  in  his  heart,  so  is  he  " : 
out  of  the  heart  flow  the  issues  of  life.  Whatever 
lack  there  is  in  missions  as  an  enterprise  is  to  be 
traced  to  something  wrong  or  wanting  in  the  spirit 
of  disciples.  And  here  all  new  beginnings  must 
themselves  begin.  Like  Elisha,  we  need  to  follow 
the  bitter  and  brackish  stream  back  to  its  fountains, 
and  cast  in  the  salt  at  the  spring ;  then  all  that 
flows  from  it  will  give  evidence  of  new  conditions 
at  the  fountain  head.  Let  us  carefully  search, 
then,  the  real  source  of  our  lack. 


THE  SPIRIT  OF  MISSIONS.  153 

The  great  practical  problem,  whose  solution 
demands  the  prayerful  and  prompt  attention  of 
every  behever,  is  this :  How  may  the  Church  of 
Christ  carry  the  good  tidings  round  the  world, 
during  the  hfetime  of  this  generation?  For  the 
present  generation  of  the  saved  to  reach  the  pres- 
ent generation  of  the  unsaved,  is  the  one  question 
of  the  hour  that  leaves  all  others  far  in  tlie  dis- 
tance. To  the  solution  of  that  problem  in  God's 
own  way,  the  Church,  and  every  member  of  it, 
should  bring  all  the  brains,  heart,  conscience,  will, 
money,  intelligence,  and  enterprise  at  command. 
To  aid,  so  far  as  we  can,  in  the  accomplishment  of 
this  work,  it  behoves  each  of  us  solemnly  to  give 
ourselves  and  our  substance,  our  tongues  and  our 
pens,  for  whatever  time  may  be  left  us.  To  this 
work  let  me  once  more  earnestly  invoke  others. 

The  solving  of  this  problem  is  not  a  matter  of 
method,  or  means ;  but  primarily  of  a  mind  and 
heart  and  will,  that  is  according  to  Christ.  All 
machinery,  however  complete,  depends  for  effect- 
iveness upon  its  motive-power.  Here  force  is 
generated.  Wheels  and  levers  are  but  the  chan- 
nels through  which  power  has  play  ;  and,  however 
intricate  and  compHcate  the  mechanical  adjust- 
ments, there  cannot  even  be  motion,  much  less 
efficient  action,  unless  and  until  force  is  created 
or  applied.  The  gigantic  ordnance-gun,  ball, 
charge,  all  wait  for  the  spark.  And  all  our  best, 
wisest,  most  complete  methods  of  mission  work 


154  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

will  stand  like  a  motionless  machine,  until  the 
Spirit  of  God  becomes  in  disciples  a  spirit  of  mis- 
sions, and  generates  spiritual  force  adequate  to 
move  and  to  keep  moving  the  wheels  of  Christian 
enterprise. 

1.  Of  course,  the  Spirit  of  Faith  is  the  secret  of 
all  other  Christian  attainment.  This  we  assume 
as  beyond  the  need  of  argument.  What  the  root 
is  to  the  plant,  what  the  spring  is  to  the  stream, 
that  faith  is,  to  all  the  beauty  and  growth  and 
power  of  a  child  of  God.  Not  only  in  prayer, 
but  in  all  our  work,  "  without  faith  it  is  impossible 
to  please  Him."  We  must  first  of  all  receive 
Christ  by  believing,  and  in  beheving  He  must 
receive  us,  so  that  we  are  His  and  He  is  ours,  by 
the  mystic  bond  of  unity.  When  we  are  in  Him 
by  faith,  and  He  in  us  by  love,  all  else  becomes 
possible ;  and  without  Him  we  can  do  nothing, 
and  are  nothing. 

Taking  this  as  granted,  we  proceed  to  ask  what 
are  the  x^dX  fruits  of  faith,  which  the  true  spirit  of 
missions  reveals  and  ripens  in  us  ? 

2.  We  answer,  first  of  all,  the  Spirit  of  Obedience, 
There  is  no  justification  for  missions   that  is 

either  possible  or  needful,  except  the  plain,  explicit 
repeated  command  of  Christ.  We  have  our 
"  marching  orders  "  :  that  is  enough.  "  Go  ye  into 
all  the  world,  and  preach  the  Gospel  to  every 
creature."  That  settles  the  matter,  and  leaves  no 
argument  or  vindication  to  be  added  or  needed. 


THE   SPIRIT  OF  MISSIONS.  155 

The  question,  "Do  missions /<:?>' /"  is  both  irrele- 
vant and  irreverent.  It  always  pays  to  obey 
authority,  especially  when  authority  is  supreme. 
And  so  clear  is  our  Lord's  command,  that  the 
process,  by  which  that  command  can  be  made  of 
none  effect,  would  make  void  the  whole  Word  of 
God.  Eyes  that  are  so  dim  as  to  see  no  such 
duty  enjoined  on  the  Church  must  be  bhnd.  And 
only  in  the  dark  ages,  when  the  very  candlestick 
of  God  almost  ceased  to  shine,  was  the  debt  of  a 
Christian  to  a  lost  world  even  doubted.  Nothing, 
to-day,  is  to  the  Church  its  shame  and  its  crime, 
as  is  this,  that,  since  Christ  gave  this  last  com- 
mand, nineteen  centuries  have  struck  on  the  clock 
of  the  ages ;  and  more  than  sixty  generations  have 
lived,  sinned,  suffered,  and  died,  with  an  aggregate 
population  from  ten  to  twenty  times  the  present 
number  of  the  human  race.  And  yet,  with  this 
positive  command  standing  before  us  hke  Christ 
Himself,  and  pointing  to  the  great  world-field; 
and  with  the  facts  of  awful  spiritual  destitution 
staring  us  in  the  face,  the  great  bulk  of  the  human 
family  has  perished,  and  will,  in  this  century,  con- 
tinue to  perish,  not  unsaved  only,  but  unw^amed ! 
For  such  a  state  of  things,  no  adequate  apology 
or  excuse  is  possible. 

Our  obedience  to  our  Lord's  will  should  be  im- 
viediate.  It  has  been  long  enough  delayed,  and 
the  time  is  short.  We  firmly  believe,  and  the  con- 
viction enters  into  the  very  marrow  of  our  being, 


156  THE   DIVINE  ENTERPRISE, 

that  the  disciples  of  Christ  should  at  once  organize 
efforts  and  occupy  the  whole  world;  that  the 
whole  field  should  be  mapped  out,  and  the  whole 
force  be  massed  together;  that  we  should  then 
proceed  carefully  to  divide  the  field,  so  that  no 
part  should  be  overlooked ;  and  then  to  distribute 
the  force  so  that  no  part  should  be  unprovided 
for.  This  lesson  is  taught  in  the  miracle  of  the 
loaves  ;  the  first  command  of  Christ  was,  "  Make 
the  multitude  to  sit  down  in  companies  of  fifty 
and  a  hundred."  That  showed  the  disciples  just 
how  many  people  there  were  to  be  fed,  and  helped 
them  to  make  sure  that  each  company  and  each 
person  should  have  attention,  and  provision  for 
their  needs. 

In  apostolic  days  we  have  this  miracle  of  the 
loaves  translated  into  action.  What  were  perhaps 
a  thousand  disciples,  in  all,  among  so  many  as  the 
world's  population  %  And  yet  they  undertook  to 
''preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature."  Peter 
and  James  went  to  the  ''  circumcision " :  James 
became  bishop  of  the  Church  in  Jerusalem,  and 
looked  after  Judean  Jews.  Peter  went  to  the  far 
East,  among  the  Jews  of  the  *'  elect  dispersion," 
and  the  peoples  among  whom  they  dwelt.  John 
went  to  Ephesus,  the  centre  of  the  Diana  wor- 
ship, and  the  gathering-place  of  vast  multitudes. 
Paul  went  westward  and  travelled  over  most,  if 
not  all,  of  the  countries  of  Europe,  between  the 
Golden  Horn  and  the  Straits  of  Gibraltar.     Philip 


THE   SPIRIT  OF  MISSIONS.  157 

went  down  to  Samaria,  and,  if  tradition  be  trust- 
worthy, the  eunuch  whom  he  led  to  Jesus  went 
further  down  into  Ethiopia  and  founded  the  Alex- 
andrian Church.  And,  on  this  principle  of  division 
of  the  field  and  distribution  of  the  force,  the 
Church,  when  fewest  in  numbers  and  feeblest  in 
strength, — when  there  were  no  steamships  or  steam 
carriages,  no  printing-presses,  or  even  New  Testa- 
ments, actually  accomplished  more  nearly  the 
evangelization  of  the  world  than  the  Church,  in 
the  pride  of  her  prosperity  and  power,  with  every 
door  open  before  her,  and  every  facility  that  even 
modern  progress  has  supplied,  has  ever  done  since  ! 
The  prompt  and  universal  obedience,  in  the  apos- 
tolic age,  to  Christ's  last  command,  made  the  very 
priests  of  pagan  fanes  tremble  lest  the  altars  of 
their  false  gods  should  be  forsaken ! 

Our  obedience  should  be  implicit  as  well  as  im- 
mediate. We  should  mark  even  the  minutiae  of 
our  Lord's  command,  and  follow  exactly  as  He 
leads.  For  example  :  He  indicated  an  onicr^  "  to 
the  Jeiu  first,  and  then  to  the  Gentile.'^  "  Begin- 
ning at  Jerusalem  "  is  a  phrase  constantly  perverted 
to  mean  that  home-work  is  to  take  precedence ; 
and  we  forget  that  its  true  meaning  is  that,  first  of 
all,  God's  choseft  people  were  to  be  sought  and 
taught.  Those  early  disciples  everywhere  began 
with  the  Jews;  whether  at  Jerusalem,  Antioch, 
Rome,  Alexandria,  or  Constantinople.  Wherever 
Paul  went,  from  Antioch  in  Syria,  to  Antioch  in 


158  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

Pisidia,  to  Salamis,  Iconium,  Lystra,  Derbe, 
Philippi,  Thessalonica,  Athens,  Corinth,  Ephesus, 
Troas,  Miletus,  Rome,  he  first  went  into  the  syn- 
agogue of  the  Jews,  or,  if  there  was  no  synagogue, 
sought  out  and  spake  unto  the  Jews,  wherever 
they  resorted  and  he  could  get  a  hearing;  and 
only  after  they  rejected  his  message  did  he  turn 
to  the  Gentiles.  Has  it  nothing  to  do  with  our 
comparative  failure  in  modern  missions,  that  the 
despised  Jew  has  been  perhaps  more  shamefully 
neglected  than  any  of  the  worst  heathen,  lowest 
pagan,  or  most  bigoted  Moslem  peoples?  Mis- 
sions among  the  ancient  Israel  of  God,  as  an 
organized  movement,  are  but  of  recent  date,  and 
even  now  the  eight  milhons  of  God's  chosen  nation 
are  scarce  approached  by  us.  Here  and  there  a 
few  scattered  laborers  have  been  all  that  God's 
people  have  sent  to  open  the  blinded  eyes  of  those 
who  see  the  Messianic  prophecies  as  yet  through 
a  veil.  The  grandest  epoch  of  missions  will  not 
begin  until  God's  Church  undertakes  to  do  as 
Christ  bade  her,  beginning  at  Jerusalem. 

The  way  of  exact  obedience  is  the  way  of  con- 
stant blessing  and  of  sure  success.  God  has  "  not 
cast  away  His  people  whom  He  foreknew,"  and 
He  will  have  the  Gospel  proclaimed  to  them  first 
of  all,  not  last  of  all.  It  is  a  noticeable  fact  that 
the  missionary  enterprises  which  to-day  are  reaping 
largest  harvest  in  other  fields  are  those  which  em- 
brace   missions   to   Israel   among  their  forms   of 


THE    SPIRIT  OF  MISSIONS.  159 

labor.  To  pass  by  the  Jew  in  the  effort  to  reach 
the  Gentile,  is  a  plain  violation  of  the  declared 
plan  of  God,  and  the  slightest  neglect  of  His  plain 
command  or  revealed  mind  imperils  all  our  other 
work.  The  blindness  which  is  upon  the  mind  of 
the  Hebrew  people,  is  no  excuse  for  our  neglect 
— for  only  when  they  turn  to  the  Lord  can  that 
blindness  be  taken  away ;  and  how  can  any  man 
be  expected  to  turn  to  the  Lord  unless  the  truth 
is  preached  to  him  ? 

The  Prussian  army  is  the  terror  of  Eiu-ope,  be- 
cause every  citizen  is  a  soldier,  and,  when  the 
order  goes  forth,  the  army  can  be  mobihzed  in  a 
day.  And  it  is  only  such  faith  and  such  obedi- 
ence of  faith  that  begets  heroic  courage.  Confi- 
dence in  God  takes  no  account  of  obstacles.  When 
Martin  Luther,  at  Augsburg,  was  asked,  ''What 
will  you  do  now,  with  kings  and  priests,  cardinals, 
and  even  the  pope  himself  arrayed  against  you  f  " 
"  Put  myself  under  the  shield  of  Him  who  hath 
said,  '  I  will  never  leave  thee  nor  forsake  thee ' !  " 
True  missionaries  are  always  heroes  ;  they  have  as 
their  helmet,  breastplate,  and  shield,  the  Divine 
promise,  "  Lo,  I  am  with  you  alway,"  and  that 
Presence  is  vanguard  and  rereward.  To  know 
that  one  is  in  the  exact  path  of  duty  is  to  know 
that  all  things  work  together  for  good,  in  a  divine 
harmony. 

Nothing  will  be  so  irresistible  as  the  Church  of 
God  when  her  obedience  to  her  Lord  is  absolute. 


i6o  rilE   DIVINE   ENTERPRISE. 

In  the  277th  year  of  the  Hegira,  and,  in  the 
vicinity  of  Cufa,  that  famous  Arabian  preacher, 
Carmath,  assumed  the  imposing  titles  of  Guide, 
Director,  Demonstration,  Camel,  Representative 
of  Mohammed,  John  Baptist,  Gabriel,  Herald  of 
Messiah,  the  Word,  the  Holy  Ghost.  After  his 
death  his  name  was  even  more  revered  by  his 
fanatical  followers.  His  twelve  apostles  spread 
themselves  among  the  Bedawins,  ''  a  race  of  men 
equally  devoid  of  reason  and  of  religion  " ;  and 
so  successful  was  their  preaching  that  all  Arabia 
was  threatened  with  a  new  revolution. 

The  Carmathians  were  ripe  for  rebellion,  and  the 
secret  of  their  power  was  a  vow  of  blind  and 
absolute  submission  to  their  Imam ;  a  secret  and 
inviolable  oath  was  their  bond  of  brotherhood. 
Leaving  tracks  of  blood,  they  moved  along  the 
Persian  Gulf,  and  the  province  of  Bahrein  bowed 
before  them ;  far  and  wide  the  desert  tribes  lowered 
their  standards  before  the  sword  of  Abu  Said  and 
Abu  Taher,  his  son,  until  they  could  muster  on 
the  field  a  force  of  over  100,000  fanatics.  Their 
approach  was  like  that  of  an  avalanche — they 
neither  asked  nor  accepted  quarter,  and  bore 
everything  before  them. 

Even  the  Caliph  trembled  as  they  advanced. 
They  crossed  the  Tigris,  and,  with  desperate 
daring,  with  only  five  hundred  horse,  knocked  at 
the  gates  of  the  capital.  By  special  order  the 
bridges  were  broken  down,  and  the  lieutenant,  in 


THE   SPIRIT  OF  MISSIONS.  i6i 

behalf  of  the  Caliph,  told  Abu  Taher  that  he  and 
his  force  were  in  danger  of  annihilation.  "  Your 
master,"  repHed  the  fierce  commander,  "  has  thirty 
thousand  soldiers,  but,  in  all  his  host,  not  three 
such  as  these."  Then,  turning  to  three  of  his  fol- 
lowers, he  bade  one  plunge  a  dagger  into  his 
breast,  a  second  leap  into  the  Tigris,  and  a  third 
fling  himself  from  a  precipice.  Without  a  moment's 
waiting  or  a  murmur  of  discontent,  each  one 
obeyed.  "  Go,"  said  he,  ''  and  tell  what  you  have 
seen  ;  and  before  the  night  falls,  your  general  shall 
be  chained  among  my  dogs."  It  was  so  ;  before 
the  sunset,  the  camp  was  surprised  and  the  threat 
executed !  * 

What  could  not  our  Lord  do,  against  the  most 
defiant  strongholds  of  Satan,  if  He  had  even  a 
Httle  band  of  followers  who,  without  hesitation, 
questioning,  or  reasoning,  simply  obeyed  ?  Nothing 
can  stand  before  a  Church  whose  only  law  is  the 
Will  of  God,  and  the  motto  of  whose  crusade  is 
''Deus  vultP 

3.  It  is  almost  superfluous  to  say  that  the  spirit 
of  missions  is  a  spirit  of  Love^  for  in  Love  it  finds 
both  its  comer-stone  and  cap-stone. 

But  Love  itself  is  a  virtue  and  grace  which  few 
possess,  or  even  understand.  There  are  two  kinds 
of  love :  one  is  that  of  complacence,  finding  pleas- 
ure in  its  object  and  evoked  by  the  discovery  of 
admirable  and  attractive  traits.  The  other  is  the 
*  Gibbon,  v.  323-4. 


1 62  THE   DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

love  of  benevolence,  which  depends  upon  an  in. 
ward  impulse  rather  than  an  outward  attraction. 
It  is  this  latter  sort  of  love  which  was  not  found 
in  Greek  philosophy.  It  was  conceived  as  Jesus 
was,  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  although,  like  Him,  born 
of  a  regenerate  humanity.  It  is  not  a  personal 
affection,  founded  and  grounded  on  moral  esteem ; 
for  such  love  in  the  nature  of  things  reaches  only 
to  those  whom  we  personally  know,  and  to  com- 
paratively few  of  them.  The  love  to  which  we 
refer  now,  is  charity,  good  will  expressed  in  good 
deeds,  whether  to  friend  or  foe,  and  extending 
even  to  those  personally  unknown.  While  com- 
placent love  is  exclusive  and  intensive,  this  love 
is  inclusive  and  extensive ;  it  is  universal  and  im- 
partial ;  and  is  not  so  much  an  affection  as  it  is  a 
principle,  and  so  James  calls  it  "  The  Royal  Law" 
or  rule  of  life. 

Only  as  we  understand  such  love  can  we  know 
the  spirit  of  missions.  God  loved  us  when  we 
were  enemies,  and  in  this  commends  His  love 
both  to  our  gratitude  and  our  imitation.  We  are 
to  love  as  He  loved,  without  respect  to  the 
character  of  the  object,  or  any  recompense  even 
in  kind.  Nay,  the  more  unlovely  and  unlovable 
the  object,  the  more  will  such  love  be  drawn  into 
exercise,  for  the  greater  is  the  debasement  and 
need  of  the  object,  and  therefore  the  more  be- 
nevolence is  evoked. 

Such  love  embraces,  of  course,  all  beifig.     It  is 


THE   SPIRIT   OF  MISSIONS.  163 

absolutely  a  stranger  to  caste  and  all  invidious 
distinction.  To  such  love,  no  human  being  is 
remote.  Selfishness  counts  all  who  are  not  neigh- 
bors and  friends,  as  barbarians,  as  Thales,  though 
wisest  and  best  of  Greeks,  looked  on  all  outside 
of  Greece ;  and  even  those  who  are  geographically 
near  are  often  sympathetically  remote,  as  the 
Samaritans  were  to  the  Jews ;  for  selfishness  will 
have  no  dealings  with  those  who  give  no  promise 
of  a  return  in  temporal  advantage  or  reciprocal 
favors. 

No  barrier  between  man  and  man  has  ever 
been  so  formidable  as  caste;  and  whether  based 
on  blood  and  birth,  brute  force  or  brain  force, 
money  or  culture,  social  position  or  rehgious  pride, 
it  still  remains  the  most  persistent  foe  to  human 
brotherhood.  Against  its  walls  of  adamant,  Love 
arrays  her  mightiest  artillery,  and,  could  Love  but 
sway  all  our  hearts,  these  walls  would  fall  like 
those  of  Jericho.  In  the  brotherhood  of  faith, 
the  Church  of  Christ,  God  meant  that,  for  once, 
the  world  should  find  a  true  democracy,  with  no 
barbarian,  Scythian,  bond  or  free,  male  or  female 
— all,  in  Christ  Jesus,  one.  And  He  meant  that 
this  Brotherhood  of  Christ  should,  in  the  whole 
world  without,  recognize  one  brotherhood  of  viaii^ 
among  whom  no  discrimination  should  be  made, 
save  in  favor  of  the  most  distant,  destitute,  and 
degraded.  And,  where  Love's  law  rules,  the  least 
and  lowest,  the  worst  and  most  worthless,  actually 


1 64  THE   DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

take  precedence  in  her  holy  ministry.  All  lines 
of  color,  race,  blood,  birth,  clime ;  all  differences 
of  intellectual  development,  emotional  life,  or  even 
moral  purity,  are  to  fade  away  before  the  charity 
that,  like  the  mantle  of  snow,  falls  from  heaven  to 
fill  up  all  inequalities  and  cover  over  all  defects. 
The  caste  spirit,  wherever  it  prevails,  is  the  fatal 
foe  of  Christian  missions  and  of  Christian  brother- 
hood. It  is  vain  to  abolish  slavery  and  serfdom 
if  this  survives.  It  is  possible  to  hold  men  in 
slavery  by  fetters  of  prejudice  as  well  as  of  iron. 
There  may  be  "  uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  "  not 
a  stone's  throw  from  our  churches  and  homes,  be- 
cause their  inmates  are  absolutely  strangers  both 
to  our  acquaintance  and  sympathy. 

All  this  is  impossible  where  Love  sways  her 
golden  sceptre.  She  makes  all  mankind  one 
brotherhood  and  all  the  world  one  neighborhood ; 
and  every  human  soul  that  needs  help  becomes 
on  that  account  our  neighbor  and  brother.  The 
negro  is  "  God's  image  carved  in  ebony."  Judea, 
which  is  at  our  doors,  will  not  hide  Samaria,  which 
is  near  by  but  with  an  alien  population,  nor  will 
either  or  both  cause  us  to  forget  the  regions  be- 
yond, even  to  the  uttermost  part  of  the  earth. 

Nay,  let  it  be  repeated,  if  Love  lays  stress  upon 
any  class  among  the  objects  of  her  divine  minis- 
try, she  will  tiu-n,  first  of  all,  to  those  most  remote, 
because  their  darkness  is  deepest,  their  need  the 
sorest,  their  degradation  the  most  extreme  :  in  this 


THE   SPIRIT  OF  MISSIONS,  165 

case  distance  is  the  measure  of  destitution  and  of 
the  demand  for  help. 

That  anonymous  proverb,  "  Charity  begins  at 
home,"  if  not  invented  by  the  devil,  is  appropri- 
ated by  him  to  serve  his  ends.  Love  counts  every 
needy  soul  a  neighbor,  and  counts  no  cost  in  re- 
lieving with  heart  and  hand  every  want  or  woe. 
If  Love  begins  at  home,  it  is  only  a  beginning,  a 
starting-point  for  the  farthest  goal  of  service.  But 
selfishness  begins  at  home,  and  stays  there.  To  her 
a  neighbor  is  one  who  will  return  favors  by  favors, 
and  who  pays  in  some  form  for  every  gift  bestowed. 

It  takes  but  httle  experience  of  worldly  society 
to  see  how  hollow  and  shallow  it  is.  Even  its 
courtesies  and  attentions,  its  generosity  and  cordi- 
ahty,  have  selfishness  at  the  root.  Parties  are 
given,  where  every  invited  guest  is  one  who  has 
acted,  or  is  expected  to  act,  as  host  to  those  in- 
viting ;  presents  are  given  to  those  who  have  laid 
the  givers  under  obligation  by  their  previous  gifts. 
One  call  is  a  return  for  another,  and  if  the  friend  is 
out  and  the  card  can  take  the  place  of  the  call,  just 
so  much  time  is  saved.  Courtesies  are  returned 
for  courtesies,  just  as  shghts  are  returned  for 
sHghts  ;  and  how  often,  could  the  veil  of  decent  form 
be  removed,  would  it  be  found  that  the  gift  was 
grudgingly  bestowed,  the  invitation  reluctantly 
given,  but  a  dire  necessity  compelled  both,  simply 
because  it  never  would  do  to  be  under  uncomfort- 
able obligations.    What  is  all  this  but  a  commercial 


1 66  THE   DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

system  of  exchange?  Hear  our  blessed  Lord: 
"  When  thou  makest  a  supper  call  not  thy  friends, 
nor  thy  brethren,  neither  thy  kinsmen  nor  thy  rich 
neighbors ;  lest  they  also  bid  thee  again  and  a 
recompense  be  made  thee.  But  when  thou  makest 
a  feast  call  the  poor,  the  maimed,  the  lame,  the 
blind;  for  they  cannot  recompense  thee,  for  thou 
shalt  be  recompensed  at  the  resurrection  of  the 
just !"  *  "  Love  ye  your  enemies,  and  do  good  and 
lend,  hoping  for  nothing  again,  and  your  reward 
shall  be  great  and  ye  shall  be  the  children  of  the 
Highest,  for  He  is  kind  unto  the  unthankful  and 
the  evil."  t  Matthew  adds,  '' Be  ye  therefore /<?r- 
fect  even  as  yoiu:  Father  which  is  in  heaven  is 
perfect,"  but  in  the  corresponding  and  parallel 
passage,  Luke  says,  "Be  ye  therefore  7nercifnl 
even  as  your  Father  in  heaven  is  merciful."  The 
perfection  we  are  to  aspire  to  is  the  perfection  of 
love,  of  unselfish  benevolence.  Ah,  yes,  that  is 
the  perfection  of  the  missionary  spirit.  It  asks 
only,  who  has  need  of  vie,  my  money,  my  witness, 
my  ministry  ?  No  bargaining  for  returns  in  kind 
or  otherwise,  no  thought  of  personal  gains,  now  or 
by-and-by ;  no  calculating  policy  or  worldly  ex- 
pediency. The  seed  is  cast  upon  all  waters  to 
float,  it  may  be,  to  most  distant  shores,  where  the 
harvest  never  will  be  seen  until  eternity  reveals  it. 
And  in  nothing  do  we  need  more  a  new  spirit  in 
missions  than  in  the  utter  and  final  abandonment 
*  Luke  xiv.  12-14.  f  Luke  vi.  35. 


THE    SPIRIT  OF  MISSIONS.  167 

of  that  selfish  poHcy  which  bestows  money  and 
labor  most  lavishly  only  where  the  returns  in  some 
form  are  likely  to  be  most  abmidant  and  rapid. 
In  God's  eyes  many  a  gift,  so  called,  is  but  an  in- 
vestment made  on  a  commercial  basis  for  the  sake 
of  the  profits  it  is  expected  to  yield  to  the  giver. 

Paul  wrote  to  the  Galatians  of  the  ''Offe7ice  of 
the  Crossy  Wherein  consists  that  offence?  Not 
only  in  this,  that  it  demands  the  renunciation  of 
self -righteousness  as  merit,  of  the  world  as  an  idol, 
of  worldly  wisdom  as  my  pride,  of  personal  achieve- 
ment as  my  glory — no,  the  cross  is  to  the  natural 
and  carnal  heart  most  of  all  an  offence,  because  it 
teaches  me  that  self  must  be  C7'ucified,  that  I  am  to 
give  without  hoping  to  get,  and  lose  my  hfe  to 
save  hfe ;  to  love  where  I  am  hated  and  to  serve 
where  I  am  met,  even  in  serving,  with  the  scourge 
and  the  thorns,  the  wagging  head  and  the  scoffing 
tongue,  the  mocking  and  the  spitting — in  a  word, 
the  cross  instead  of  the  crown ! 

How  utterly  the  Crucified  lost  sight  of  self ! 
He  emptied  Himself  of  all  that  heaven  held  to 
come  to  earth,  and  then  emptied  Himself  of  all 
that  earth  had  left  Him,  for  the  sake  of  Love's 
divine  mission.  Who  was  ever  so  poor  as  He ! 
He  had  nothing  but  a  stable  to  be  bom  in,  noth- 
ing but  a  manger  to  be  laid  in.  He  had  not  so 
much  as  a  place  where  to  rest  his  head ;  even  His 
cross  was  not  His  own,  and  His  grave  belonged 
to  another.     It  is  pathetically  written  that,  to  the 


1 68  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

traitor  He  left  His  purse ;  to  the  soldiers,  His  robe ; 
to  the  beloved  disciple,  His  mother ;  to  the  dying 
thief.  His  promise  of  paradise ;  to  the  penitent 
Peter,  His  pardon ;  to  His  Father,  His  last  breath 
and  departing  spirit,  and  to  His  followers,  His 
peace.  Naked  He  came  into  this  world;  while 
here  He  got  nothing,  though  He  gave  everything ; 
and  naked  He  went  the  way  to  the  tomb.  Do 
you  wish  to  follow  Him?  Count  the  cost;  for 
along  that  way  self  must  be  left  behind  to  walk 
with  Him.  This  is  bearing  the  cross,  to  accept 
self-abnegation  as  the  badge  of  discipleship,  and 
consent  to  lose  ourselves  to  save  the  lost. 

The  spirit  of  missions  we  need,  for  it  measures 
our  likeness  to  our  Master  and  the  value  of  our 
service.  To  cherish  and  cultivate  that  spirit  is  to 
grow  in  the  image  of  our  Lord.  It  will  fill  the 
heart  to  overflowing,  and  out  of  the  abundance  of 
the  heart  the  mouth  will  speak  and  the  hand  will 
give  ;  then,  witnessing  and  working  will  react  upon 
the  heart  which  inspired  them,  and  so  the  very 
love  which  compels  utterance  and  endeavor  is 
relieved,  refreshed,  and  reinvigorated  by  the  words 
and  works  of  love.  See  how  God  ordains  that 
duty  shall  bring  delight !  The  spring  makes  the 
stream,  but  the  outlet  helps  the  inlet.  Choke  up 
the  spring  and  it  ceases  to  be  a  spring.  When 
water  stops  flowing  it  stops  running.  Only  a  rill, 
locked  up  in  ice-bonds,  becomes  motionless.  Ac- 
tion reacts  on  the  actor. 


THE   SPIRIT  OF  MISSIONS.  169 

And  as  surely  as  we  grow  God-like  by  cultivat- 
ing the  spirit  of  missions,  we  shall  rapidly  decline 
and  decay,  in  all  that  is  most  vital  to  our  soul's 
life,  when  we  quench  that  spirit.  While  some  are 
asking,  especially  as  to  the  weaker  churches,  how 
can  they  do  mission  work  or  give  to  the  mission 
cause?  I  would  ask,  how  can  they  live  without 
it  \  Of  the  Church,  as  of  the  individual,  it  is  true 
that  to  save  life  by  such  means  is  to  lose  it.  The 
Church  that  leaves  the  lost  to  die  without  the 
Gospel,  risks  its  own  destruction.  It  is  therefore 
a  question  how,  if  we  do  not  undertake  to  save 
the  world,  we  can  save  ourselves.  During  the 
ages  when  missions  to  the  heathen  comparatively 
ceased,  the  Church  scarcely  survived  ;  and  Bishop 
Thobum  has  said  that  God  would  sweep  away  the 
Church  from  the  earth  if  missions  were  deliberately 
abandoned. 

Dr.  Bums  Thompson  calls  attention  to  the  fact, 
in  botany,  that  the  light,  heat,  moisture,  and  nutri- 
tion which  are  so  helpful  to  growth  where  life  exists, 
actually  promote  and  hasten  decay  where  life  is 
not.  It  is  a  corresponding  fact  in  spiritual  ex- 
perience, that  the  most  abundant  blessings  become 
only  curses  where  they  are  not  used  for  the  ends 
which  God  designed,  and  the  peril  of  our  souls 
and  of  our  churches  lies  in  the  very  conditions 
which,  if  we  are  faithful,  insure  prosperity. 

It  is  not  a  question,  therefore,  merely  of  evan- 
gehzing  the  world  and  fulfilling  our  mission :  it  is 


lyo  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

a  more  vital  question  of  preventing  heresy  in 
doctrine  and  iniquity  in  practice  from  petrifying 
or  putrifying  the  very  hfe  of  the  Church.  Paral- 
ysis in  missions  is  the  sign  of  death  to  piety. 

In  Retzsch's  illustrations  of  Faust,  there  is  a 
representation  which  is  not  easily  forgotten.  The 
demons  are  contending  for  the  soul  of  Faust  and 
trying  to  drag  him  down  into  the  abyss  of  ruin. 
The  angels  from  above  watch,  with  intent  eyes 
and  absorbed  attention,  the  desperate  struggle ; 
and,  plucking  the  roses  from  the  bowers  of  Para- 
dise, fling  them  down,  as  though  they  were  hail- 
stones with  which  to  pelt  the  heads  of  the  fiends. 
And  as  those  celestial  roses  fall,  and  pass  into  the 
sulphurous  atmosphere  of  the  pit,  they  are  suddenly 
transformed  into  burning  coals,  which,  as  they 
touch  those  demon  forms,  bum  and  blister  and 
torture.  A  parable  lies  in  that  etching.  All  bless- 
ings, though  they  leave  heaven  as  the  very  blooms 
of  Eden,  when  they  touch  the  disobedient  and 
ungrateful  soul  turn  to  withering  curses.  The 
Church  that  leaves  a  dying  world  to  die,  a  lost 
race  to  wander  in  the  dark,  feeling  after  the  God 
whom  the  Gospel  would  reveal  as  not  far  from 
every  one  of  us ;  the  Church  that  turns  the  very 
privileges  which  God  gives  her  into  a  silken  ham- 
mock of  selfish  ease,  and  the  very  means  of  a 
world's  evangehzation  into  the  provision  for 
worldly  indulgence ;  the  Church  that,  with  large 
numbers,  great  wealth,  high  social  standing  and 


THE    SPIRIT   OF  MISSIONS.  171 

culture,  perverts  the  golden  sceptre  God  gave  her 
for  universal  conquest,  into  the  weapon  of  self- 
enthronement,  sitting  as  a  queen  and  revelling  in 
luxury,  making  the  courts  of  God  her  court  of 
empire,  and  leaving  a  world  in  destitution,  while 
she  furnishes  and  garnishes  her  palaces, — such  a 
Church  would  do  well  to  read  that  Epistle  to 
Laodicea  which  contains  perhaps  the  most  terrible 
rebuke  which  God  has  ever  administered  to  His 
professed,  people. 

We  need  this  warning  note  to  sound  all  around 
the  horizon  hke  a  thunder-peal :  the  Church  that 
does  not  take  up  her  work  for  a  world  of  lost  souls 
is  already  a  dying  Church.  To  keep  out  Jezebel 
and  the  Nicolaitanes,  to  prevent  the  sanctuary  of 
God  being  turned  into  the  synagogue  and  seat  of 
Satan,  and  the  ardor  and  fervor  of  a  first  love  with 
its  first  works  from  giving  place  to  the  disgusting, 
nauseating  lukewarmness  of  a  formahsm  that  is 
neither  one  thing  or  the  other, — for  all  this  disaster 
God's  great  antidote  is  this,  to  be  all,  always,  and 
altogether  engaged  in  bringing  unsaved  souls  to 
the  knowledge  of  the  truth.  This  is  the  tonic,  the 
stimulant,  the  preventive  and  preservative  medi- 
cine. 

There  is  now-a-days  a  Laodicean  tendency  to 
undue  self-gratulation.  We  talk  of  our  world-wide 
organizations  for  missionary  work,  of  our  millions 
of  money  given  for  Gospel  triumphs,  of  our  great 
army  of  6,000  men  and  women,  and  35,000  native 


172  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

evangelists  and  helpers.  But  how  little  do  we 
think  of  the  disgraceful  disproportion  between  our 
opportunity  and  our  endeavor,  the  laborers  we 
send  to  the  field  and  the  immense  multitude  of 
disciples  that  remain  at  home ;  the  milHons  we 
give  to  missions  and  the  billions  of  wealth  we  keep 
in  selfish  coffers  or  spend  in  selfish  luxiu-y.  Think 
of  some  thirty  or  forty  milHon  of  Protestant  church- 
members,  sending  one  man  or  woman  out  of  every 
5,000  or  6,000  to  the  foreign  field — where  one  out 
of  500  would  give  us  at  least  60,000  missionaries  ! 
Think  of  giving  ten  or  twelve  milHons  of  dollars 
a  year  to  represent  all  these  milHons  of  Protestant 
disciples — a  paltry  pittance  of  forty  cents  a  year 
as  the  average  contribution,  less  than  two  mills  a 
day !  Behold  that  awfully  accusing  pyramid  of 
comparative  expenditure,  that  reveals  a  diminutive 
apex  of  $12,000,000  for  missions,  while  as  we 
descend,  we  find  twenty  times  as  much  spent  on 
public  education ;  forty  times  as  much  on  boots 
and  shoes,  and  as  much  more  on  cotton  fabrics ; 
fifty  times  as  much  on  woolen  goods ;  sixty  times 
as  much  on  meat ;  one  hundred  times  as  much  on 
bread ;  one  hundred  and  fifty  times  as  much  on 
tobacco  ;  and  from  one  hundred  and  eighty  to  two 
hundred  times  as  much  on  strong  drink !  One 
hundredth  part  of  the  annual  income  of  professed 
disciples  in  Protestant  congregations  would  yield 
to  missions  annually  at  least  200,000,000  dollars ! 
We   congratulate   ourselves  that  we  are  now 


THE   SPIRIT  OF  MISSIONS.  173 

completing  a  full  century  of  organized  missions ; 
but  do  we  remember  that  it  is  but  the  first  century 
of  modern  missions?  that,  after  apostolic  days, 
there  were  a  thousand  years  when  missionary  effort 
so  far  ceased  that  we  call  that  millennium  the  Dark 
Ages !  that,  after  the  trumpet  tongue  of  Luther 
sounded  the  clarion  peal  of  the  Reformation,  the 
awakened  Church  waited  three  hundred  years 
longer  before  even  the  debt  to  a  dying  world  was 
commonly  acknowledged ;  and  that,  even  now, 
not  one-third  oi  the  church-membership  are  actually 
either  working,  giving,  or  praying  for  a  world's 
evangelization  ?  If  looked  at  from  a  true  point  of 
view,  we  shall  see  that  all  that  is  yet  done  or 
attempted  is  an  insignificant  fraction  of  what  is 
both  possible  and  practicable. 

Never,  even  in  the  joy  of  missionary  conquests, 
can  the  thoughtful  disciple  forget  this  shame  and 
reproach  of  the  Church,  that,  since  our  Lord,  as- 
cending to  His  throne,  said,  "Go  ye  into  all  the 
world  and  preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature," 
sixty  generations  of  men  have  lived  and  died, 
embracing  an  aggregate  multitude  estimated  at  no 
less  than  twenty  times  the  present  population  of 
the  globe ;  that  is,  from  twenty  thousand  to  thirty 
thousand  millions  of  our  fellow-men !  a  number 
so  vast  that  if  they  could  march,  one  by  one,  past 
a  given  point,  one  a  second,  it  would  consume 
from  seven  to  ten  centuries,  day  and  night !  And 
yet — again  we  put  it  on  record — with  the  command 


174  THE   DIVINE   ENTERPRISE. 

of  Christ  in  her  ears  and  the  word  of  Hfe  in  her 
hands,  the  Church  has  permitted  this  immense 
multitude  to  go  down  to  death,  without  even  the 
knowledge  that  a  Saviour  has  died,  reaching  the 
great  masses  of  them  ! 

4.  The  spirit  of  missions  is  the  spring  of  tireless 
and  ceaseless  endeavor.  May  we  not  call  it,  Pas- 
sion for  Souls,  and  for  Christ's  conquest  of  the 
world  ? 

The  Moravians  lead  the  whole  missionary  host 
in  their  devotion  to  a  world's  redemption.  Their 
leader,  Count  von  Zinzendorf,  hke  John  the  Bap- 
tist, seems  to  have  fallen  heir  to  a  legacy  of  grace, 
and  his  whole  Hfe  bore  the  seal  of  a  pecuHar  con- 
secration. When  but  four  years  old,  he  covenanted 
with  Christ :  *'  Be  Thou  mine  dear  Saviour,  and  I 
will  be  Thine,"  and  from  the  window  of  his  grand- 
mother's castle  used  in  his  childish  simplicity  to 
toss  out  letters  to  the  Lord  in  which  he  told  Him 
all  that  was  in  his  heart.  When  at  ten  he  was 
Franke's  pupil  at  Halle,  he  formed  Httle  prayer 
circles,  and  instituted  the  ''  Order  of  the  Grain  of 
Mustard-seed,"  whose  members  were  bound  by 
sacred  pledge  to  seek  the  souls  of  others.  Tho- 
luck's  famous  motto  became  his  own  :  **  Ich  hab' 
eine  Passion  und  die  est  Er,  nur  Er."  Parisian 
seductions  and  social  cups  of  enchantment  vainly 
sought  to  draw  him  from  Christ.  When  he  wedded 
a  countess,  it  was  still  only  in  the  Lord,  and  they 
two  cast  away  all  rank  and  richeS;  and  girded 


THE   SPIRIT  OF  MISSIONS.  175 

themselves  like  pilgrims,  ready  to  start  for  any 
field  if  God  should  show  them  His  will.  The 
world  became  his  parish;  and  his  property,  the 
Lord's  offering. 

The  seal  of  the  Unitas  Fratrimi  was  a  lamb, 
bearing  the  cross  of  resurrection,  from  which  de- 
pends a  triumphal  banner  with  the  device  :  *'  Vicit 
Agnus  Noster:  Bum  Seqtiamury  No  wonder  that 
Dober  and  Nitschmann,  at  St.  Thomas,  were 
ready  to  sell  themselves  as  slaves  to  reach  slaves ; 
that  Stach  and  Boemish  were  ready  to  go  to  the  ice- 
bound pole,  Schmidt  to  the  Bushmen  and  Hotten- 
tots at  the  Southern  Cape,  and  that  Pagell  and 
Hyde  and  Jaschke  laid  siege  to  the  stronghold 
of  the  Grand  Lama  on  the  frowning  heights  of 
Thibet.  Pagell  and  his  wife  spent  at  Poo  a  quarter 
century  of  toil,  and  then  in  death  were  not  divided. 
For  five  months  their  colleague  at  Kyelang  could 
not  visit  them,  for  the  impassable  snows  of  the 
Himalayas  block  the  roads  for  three-fourths  of  the 
year.  Pathetic  as  is  the  tale  of  their  self-denial, 
sickness  and  death,  the  brethren  at  the  Nicobar 
Islands,  in  the  Bay  of  Bengal,  perished  after  suffer- 
ings that  were  even  more  extreme,  and  with  not 
even  a  native  catechist  or  solitary  convert  to  close 
their  eyes.  Such  are  the  men  and  women  of 
whom  the  world  was  not  worthy ;  of  whom  even 
a  worldly  Church  is  not  worthy. 

Where  this  enamoring  passion  for  Christ 
and    for    souls    is    found,   consecration    of   self 


176  THE   DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

and  substance  is  as  natural  and  necessary  as 
breathing. 

On  Henry  Clay's  sarcophagus  Fred  Graeff  has 
chiselled  this,  Clay's  noblest  utterance :  "  I  can  with 
unshaken  confidence  appeal  to  the  Divine  Arbiter 
for  the  truth  of  the  declaration  that  I  have  been 
influenced  by  no  impure  purpose,  no  personal 
motive — have  sought  no  personal  aggrandizement ; 
but  in  all  my  pubhc  acts  I  have  had  a  sole  and 
single  eye,  and  a  warm,  devoted  heart,  directed 
and  dedicated  to  what,  in  my  best  judgment,  I 
beheved  to  be  the  true  interests  of  my  country." 
That  is  the  voice  of  patriotism ;  and  shall  the 
disciple  not  be  able  to  say  as  much  for  the  sake  of 
his  Redeemer  and  His  Kingdom  %  Shall  a  states- 
man's devotion  to  his  country  outrank  our  absorp- 
tion in  God? 

Besser  tells  the  story  of  a  redeemed  slave — 
bought  in  a  slave-market  by  a  rich  and  generous 
Englishman  for  twenty  pieces  of  gold,  and  then 
presented  with  a  purse  of  sovereigns  with  which 
to  buy  a  home  and  begin  a  freeman's  honest  life. 
"  Am  I  free,  to  go  where  I  will  and  do  as  I  will  % 
Then  let  me  be  your  slave,  I  owe  all  to  you — I 
have  been  by  you  redeemed.*  " 

The  same  spirit  breathes  in  the  birthday  resolve 
of  Miss  Frances  E.  Willard,  to  give  herself  wholly 
to  her  Redeemer  and  Lord,  ''  for  the  fulfilment  in 
the  highest  possible   degree  in  body,   soul,  and 

*  Lange.     Commentary,  I.  Pet.  p.  25. 


THE    SPIRIT  OF  MISSIONS.  177 

spirit,  of  the  declaration,  'A  habitation  of  God 
through  the  Spirit.' "  When  Ehzabeth  Fry,  the 
"  female  Howard,"  died  at  sixty-five,  after  such  a 
hfe  of  Christlike  philanthropy  as  few  women  have 
ever  known — for  half  a  century  she  had  been  able 
to  affirm  that  she  had  never  awakened  from  her 
sleep  in  sickness  or  in  health,  by  day  or  by  night, 
without  her  first  waking  thought  being,  ''How  best 
may  I  serve  my  Lord  ?  "  *  When  not  more  than 
eighteen  years  of  age  she  established  a  school  for 
eighty  poor  children  in  her  father's  house.  Fifteen 
years  later  the  deplorable  phght  of  the  women  in 
Newgate  prison  drew  her  to  their  side,  and  alone, 
unguarded,  she  entered  the  inner  prison,  where 
one  hundred  and  sixty  of  the  worst  were  immured, 
and  won  them  by  her  mingled  dignity  and  court- 
esy, her  holiness  and  humility.  Many  of  them 
then  for  the  first  time  heard  at  her  lips  the  word 
of  grace.  Before  three  years  more  had  passed 
she  was  a  systematic  visitor.  Newgate's  dark 
cells  began  to  be  ht  up  with  the  gospel  of  love, 
order,  sobriety,  neatness;  intelligence  began  to 
displace  riot,  lust,  filth,  ignorance,  and  indolence. 
She  established  schools  within  prison  walls,  found 
work  for  women  and  Christian  instruction  ;  studied 
how  to  abohsh  slavery,  advance  education,  and  im- 
prove the  condition  of  British  seamen ;  and  dis- 
pensed her  charities  with  an  unbounded  liberaHty. 
And,  like  many  a  saint  whose  name  is  not  in  man's 

*  "  Christian  Womanhood,"  p.  241. 


178  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

calendar,  she  could  say,  ''  Nothing  is  too  precious 
for  my  Lord  Jesus  Christ." 

Not  until  we  can  measure  the  value  of  the  blood 
paid  for  our  redemption  can  we  measure  the  extent 
of  our  infinite  debt  to  the  Redeemer.  There  is 
but  one  way  to  pay  that  debt  even  in  part — we 
are  ''put  in  trust  with  the  Gospel."  Debtors  to 
Christ  and,  for  His  sake,  to  a  dying  world ;  and 
trustees  of  the  Gospel  of  His  grace  that,  with  the 
boundless  riches  committed  to  us  as  trustees,  we 
may  discharge  the  obligation  we  owe  as  debtors ! 

No  form  of  selfishness  is  more  subtle  and  fatal 
to  spiritual  life  than  the  polite  form  of  fashionable 
greed.  The  worship  of  the  golden  calf  is  carried 
on  in  our  very  sanctuaries.  Avarice  is  insatiate ; 
it  cries  give,  give,  and  lives  to  get  and  keep  and 
hoard,  and  feast  the  evil  eye  and  lust  of  gain  on 
the  sight  of  its  gold. 

In  a  British  manufactory,  a  merchant  comes  in 
at  9  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  goes  out  at  5 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  having  done  nothing  else 
but  count  his  sovereigns,  and  arrange  them  in  piles 
of  ten ;  and  this  he  has  done  every  day  but  Sun- 
day for  twenty  years.  Gold  is  his  master,  and  he 
is  an  abject  slave — the  sovereign  is  indeed  his 
Sovereign.  He  himself  has  been  electroplated — 
changed  into  a  coin — has  a  metallic  ring,  and  will 
**  drop  into  his  cofiin  with  a  chink." 

Passion  for  Christ  and  for  souls  checks  such 
greed  and  makes  all  giving  of  our  substance  a 


THE   SPIRIT  OF  MISSIONS.  179 

free-will  offering.  Redemption  includes  not  only 
me,  but  mine.  A  great  Gennan  defines  socialism 
as  decreeing,  "  What  is  thine  is  mine,"  and  Chris- 
tianity as  teaching  us  to  say  rather,  "What  is 
mine  is  thine."  But  Dr.  R.  *^V.  Dale  finely  says 
that  the  epigram  needs  further  correction.  Chris- 
tianity teaches  us  to  say,  ""What  seems  thine  is 
not  thine ;  what  seems  mine  is  not  mine :  whatso- 
ever thou  hast  or  I  have  belongs  to  God ;  you 
and  I  must  use  it  according  to  His  will." 

The  revival  of  the  Scriptural  doctrine  of  stew- 
ardship is  the  only  hope  of  the  Church  in  the 
direction  of  a  larger  and  an  adequate  giving.  So 
long  as  we  think  of  our  money  as  our  own,  we 
shall  hold  it  as  our  own ;  but  when  in  our  eyes  it 
is  God's,  we  shall  learn  to  give  Him  back  what  is 
His  own. 

The  spirit  of  missions  is  the  spirit  of  absorption 
in  God.  And,  strange  to  say,  we  are  never  so 
strong  and  puissant  in  our  own  individuahty  and 
personality  as  when  we  are  lost  to  ourselves  be- 
cause absorbed  in  Him.  We  find  our  lives  in 
losing  them,  and  find  ourselves  in  losing  oiu-selves. 
One  of  our  ciurent  cant  phrases  is  "losing  our 
will  in  His  will,"  and  too  often  this  condition  of 
complete  consecration  carries  with  it  the  idea  of 
a  sacrifice  of  positive  manhood,  manhness,  charac- 
ter, power.  We  all  feel  that  the  will  is  the  focal 
centre  of  all  being ;  in  the  will  all  other  elements 
of  power  converge,  and  thence  diverge  again  or 


l8o  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

radiate  into  action.  To  have  no  will  of  our  own 
suggests,  to  many,  a  body  without  a  backbone — 
like  a  flabby  jelly-fish — with  no  real  energy  even 
in  resistance  to  evil,  not  to  say  in  aggressive  move- 
ment. 

To  be  absorbed  in  God  is  the  loss  of  nothing, 
but  the  gain  of  everything.  It  is  the  paradox  of 
life,  that  you  are  never  so  fully  and  mightily  your- 
self as  when  you  lose  yourself  in  God. 

Here  is  a  man  whose  mill  is  moved  by  a  water- 
wheel.  That  wheel  depends  on  a  small  stream 
which  at  times  runs  low  and  almost  dry,  and  at 
such  seasons  the  wheel  moves  slowly  and  feebly, 
if  at  all.  But  near  by  flows  a  mighty  river,  fed  by 
exhaustless  mountain  springs  and  melting  snows. 
He  taps  that  river:  he  digs  a  channel  from  its 
banks  to  his  own  little  rill ;  he  turns  into  that  nar- 
row sluice-way  the  mighty,  steady  momentum  of 
those  everflowing  waters,  and  now  he  has  not  lost 
his  rill — he  has  only  gained  a  river. 

Even  so,  when  we  surrender  our  will  to  God, 
there  is  no  loss  of  human  will-power,  but  only  the 
gain  of  divine  will-power.  Through  the  narrow 
channels  of  our  uncertain,  unsteady  choice.  He 
pours  the  mighty  flood  of  His  resistless  resolution 
— the  will  of  God  energizes,  quickens  our  will ; 
and  the  wheels  of  action  move  with  a  firmness, 
fulness,  force,  and  fervor  to  which  we  were  before 
strangers.  In  our  weakness  we  are  strong;  in 
our  folly,  wise.     We  can  do  all  things  and  bear 


THE   SPIRIT  OF  MISSIONS.  i8i 

all  things  through  Christ,  who  strengthens  us. 
The  youths  faint  and  grow  weary  and  the  young 
men  utterly  fall,  but  we  wait  on  the  Lord  and 
renew  our  strength ;  mount  upon  wings  as  eagles, 
run  and  are  not  weary,  walk  and  do  not  faint. 
Our  Lord  began  His  active  career  while  yet  a  boy 
of  twelve  years,  with  a  significant  motto :  "  Wist 
ye  not  that  I  must  be  about  my  Father's  busi- 
ness ? "  His  identification  with  the  Father  was 
such  that  it  was  natural,  necessary,  involuntary,  to 
be  engaged  always  in  His  Father's  work.  And 
this  makes  all  work  easy,  that  I  am  doing  it  for 
God,  with  God,  in  God.  He  abides  in  me  and 
I  in  Him ;  I  work  for  Him,  and  He  works  in  and 
through  me.  There  is  no  hurry  or  worry  or  flurry 
about  a  true  work  for  God.  Why  should  I  be 
anxious  and  disturbed  and  careful  if  I  am  simply 
bearing  His  yoke — the  yoke  which  He  shares, 
and  in  fact  bears.  Will  He  not  take  care  of  the 
biu-den  and  see  that  the  load  is  borne  or  is  drawn  ? 
From  the  moment  that  you  take  God  as  your  sole 
Master  and  Lord,  remember  this — you  are  hence- 
forth to  take  no  anxious  thought  for  the  morrow 
— to  be  careful  for  nothing,  but  trust  and  not  be 
afraid,  trust  and  be  kept  in  perfect  peace.  If  there 
be  anything  you  are  doing  in  which  you  find  it 
needful  to  worry,  be  assured  that  is  not  God's 
work,  but  your  work — something  you  have  taken 
upon  yourself  to  do  at  the  beck  of  pride,  ambition, 
greed,  or  some  worldly  impulse,     For  if  it  is  only 


1 82  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

God's  work  you  are  about,  He  is  at  the  head  and 
will  not  suffer  it  to  come  to  naught.  This  lesson 
of  perfect  peace  is  the  first  and  last  lesson  taught 
and  learned  in  His  school :  if  it  were  sooner 
learned,  all  hfe  would  be  vested  with  heaven's 
charms.  Take  up  your  work  as  His  commitment, 
do  it  for  Him  and  unto  Him,  and  in  dependence 
on  His  Providence  and  Spirit ;  nothing  will  so 
banish  all  undue  anxiety  and  carefulness. 

There  is  no  higher  seal  and  sanction  put  by 
God  on  missions  than  this,  that  those  who  work 
in  this  great  field  manifest  His  spirit  in  a  marked 
degree.  Here  is  the  apostohc  succession  because 
here  is  the  apostolic  mission  and  spirit.  Faith 
begets  implicit  obedience,  self-sacrifice,  consecra- 
tion, absorption  in  God,  the  marks  of  the  highest 
heroism  and  loftiest  unworldliness.  Robert  M. 
Gust,  Esq.,  has  pronounced  the  true  missionary 
the  highest  type  of  human  excellence,  and  his  call- 
ing, the  noblest ;  missionaries,  he  says,  are  the  salt 
of  the  earth. 

May  we  not  say  even  more,  that  they  seem  to 
be  identified  with  the  goodly  fellowship  of  the 
prophets,  the  holy  company  of  the  apostles  and 
the  noble  army  of  martyrs  ?  They  have  been  the 
pioneers  in  all  lands,  like  Carey  in  India,  Perkins 
in  Persia,  Morrison  in  China,  Judson  in  Burmah, 
Allen  in  Korea,  Hepburn  in  Japan,  Williams  in 
the  South  Seas,  Livingstone  in  Africa.  They 
have  gone  nowhere  without  leaving  the  traces  of 


THE    SPIRIT  OF  MISSIONS.  183 

God.  They  have  compelled  recognition,  respect, 
and  even  homage ;  as  Mrs.  Grant  compelled  Nes- 
torian  bishops  to  think  of  her  body  as  the  temple 
of  God,  as  Mrs.  Judson  won  the  Burmese  so  that 
they  kissed  her  passing  shadow,  and  Ehza  Agnew 
at  Oodooville  led  a  thousand  daughters  of  Ceylon 
to  bow  at  the  feet  of  her  Saviour.  To-day  if  even 
ungodly  men  seek  the  grandest  types  of  manhood 
and  womanhood  they  turn  to  Paul,  to  Ehot,  to 
Brainerd,  to  Gutzlaff,  to  Schwartz,  to  Moffat,  to 
Hunt,  to  Patteson,  to  Zinzendorf,  to  Mackay, 
to  Scudder,  to  Taylor,  to  Thoburn,  to  Harriet 
Newell,  Fidelia  Fisk,  Rosine  Kraff,  Mehnda 
Rankin — in  fact,  their  name  is  legion,  and  it  is 
vain  to  discriminate  by  individual  mention,  among 
such  a  host. 

In  18 1 8,  the  Colonial  Government,  fearing  the 
spread  of  leprosy,  erected  a  temporary  asylum  in 
the  romantic  valley  of  Hemel  en  Aarde  (Heaven 
and  Earth),  so  called  because,  far  from  human 
habitations,  it  was  walled  in  by  rocks,  with  only  a 
strip  of  sky  above.  In  course  of  time  a  larger 
hospital  was  built,  and  Lord  Somerset,  the  gov- 
ernor, wrote  to  the  directing  board  of  the  Mora- 
vian Church,  asking  for  a  missionary  to  manage 
the  institution  and  teach  the  inmates  the  faith  of 
Christ. 

In  January,  1822,  Rev.  Mr.  Leitner  and  wife 
became  voluntary  exiles  for  Christ  and  entered 
upon  their  repulsive  and  self-denying  work.     They 


1 84  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

were  in  constant  contact  with  those  who  were 
crippled  and  deformed  by  this  loathsome  disease, 
though  they  supposed  such  contact  to  be  conta- 
gious and  fatal.  Love  transfigured  their  toil  with 
celestial  charms.  For  more  than  seven  years  they 
sought  to  heal  and  save  the  souls  of  those  whose 
bodies  were  wasting  away.  And  when  Mr.  Leit- 
ner  died,  in  1829,  in  the  same  devoted  spirit  his 
successors  wrought  for  ten  years  more.  In  1846, 
the  hospital  was  removed  to  Robben  Island,  near 
Cape  Town,  and  Missionary  Lehman  and  wife 
followed  the  lepers  to  their  new  home  amid  the 
dangerous  rocks  of  Table  Bay,  and  were  met  by 
the  joy  of  those  poor  lepers,  who  broke  forth  in 
praise  to  God.  They  began  to  teach ;  and  in  1 860 
John  Taylor  left  all  to  bury  himself  among  these 
lepers  and  lunatics,  where  he  likewise  toiled  till 
death.  For  forty-five  years,  and  until  the  appoint- 
ment of  an  EngHsh  chaplain  dispensed  with  their 
services,  these  Christlike  Moravians  clung  to  this 
leper  home. 

Such  absorption  in  God  is  the  soul  and  secret 
of  heroism.  What  has  nerved  timid  men,  and 
even  delicate  and  shrinking  women,  to  face  death 
with  every  attendant  torture,  firm  and  fearless,  but 
this — that  they  were  lost  in  God  ? 

When  Jerome  of  Prague  was  led  to  the  stake, 
he  embraced  it  with  smiles  of  gladness.  As 
around  him  the  wood  and  fagots  were  piled  he 
sang,  "  Hail,  happy  day !  "  and  then  broke  forth 


THE   SPIRIT  OF  MISSIONS.  185 

again  into  chanting  the  Creed,  which,  as  he  said 
to  the  throng  about  him,  was  the  song  of  his  Faith. 
When  the  executioner  went  behind  him  to  hght 
the  pile,  he  said  to  him,  "  Come  hither  and  kindle 
the  fagots  before  my  eyes  ;  for,  had  I  feared,  I  had 
not  come  here,  having  had  so  many  opportunities 
of  escape."  And  when  the  flames  leaped  high 
and  the  wood  crackled  in  the  fire,  high  above  rose 
the  calm  clear  notes  of  the  martyr's  voice,  while  his 
body  was  consuming  as  a  whole  burnt-offering  on 
the  altar :  "  This  soul  of  mine,  in  flame  I  offer  up,  O 
Christ,  to  Thee !  "  And  to  this  day  few  spots  on 
the  continent  are  more  sacred  to  Christian  pilgrims 
than  the  place  where  those  last  words  proved  that 
death  had  lost  its  sting. 

As  I  stood  in  April,  1890,  on  the  highest  tier  of 
seats  in  the  Coliseum  at  Rome,  one  scene  of  past 
ages  stood  most  vividly,  almost  visibly,  before  my 
imagination.  Beneath  the  canvas  canopy  a  vast 
throng  is  gathered,  of  80,000  spectators.  Yonder 
on  his  raised  marble  throne  sits  the  Emperor 
Trajan,  and  near  him  the  proud  senators,  and 
vestal  virgins  with  their  lamps.  Amid  the  surge 
and  swell  of  this  sea  of  human  voices,  impatient 
for  the  sport,  an  old  man  comes,  trembling  with 
age,  into  the  arena,  his  long  white  hair  falling  to 
his  waist  and  mingling  with  his  beard.  It  is 
Ignatius,  the  disciple  of  John ;  and  if  tradition  be 
true,  the  "httle  child  "  of  Mark  xi.  36.  He  bears 
the  second  surname,  Theophoros,  or  the  Christ- 


1 86  THE   DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

bearer ;  and  in  his  interview  with  Trajan  showed 
himself  so  utterly  unworldly  that  the  emperor  gave 
him  the  opprobrious  name  (KaKodaLfioyv),  one 
possessed  of  a  demon,  and  condemned  him  to  be 
led  a  prisoner  from  Antioch  to  Rome,  and  there 
fed  to  the  wild  beasts  for  the  delectation  of  the 
people. 

As  the  fierce  hons  are  let  loose  upon  him,  the 
old  saint  falls  on  his  knees  and  is  heard  to  say : 
"  O  ye  Romans,  know  ye  that  not  for  any  crime 
am  I  brought  here,  but  that  by  this  means  I  may 
attain  to  the  fruition  of  the  glory  of  God,  for  love 
of  whom  I  am  made  prisoner.  /  am  as  grain  of 
God''s  field^  and  must  be  ground  by  the  teeth  of  lions 
that  I  may  become  bread  for  His  people^  fit  for  His 
table." 

How  long,  think  you,  the  world  would  wait  for 
the  knowledge  of  this  salvation,  did  the  spirit  of 
that  martyr  burn  in  Christian  bosoms  !  Such  a 
flame  of  holy  zeal  consumes  all  greed,  all  pride, 
all  ambition,  all  selfishness,  while  it  burns  and 
glows  and  shines  with  celestial  fires,  and  makes 
life  itself  a  reflection  of  shekinah  glory !  When 
God's  people  would  rather  be  ground  between 
lions'  teeth  than  that  the  hungry  souls  should  go 
without  bread,  the  world  will  soon  find  spread 
from  pole  to  pole  the  banquet  board  of  Redemp- 
tion. 

The  spirit  of  missions  not  only  brings  its  own 
reward;  it  is  itself  a  heavenly  gift  and  its  own 


rilE    SPIRIT  OF  MISSIONS.  187 

compensation.  Walter  Scott  puts  into  the  mouth 
of  Jeanie  Deans,  when  pleading  for  her  sister's  life 
with  the  Queen,  those  memorable  words : 

"  It  is  not  when  we  sleep  soft  and  wake  merrily 
ourselves  that  we  think  on  other  people's  suffer- 
ings. Our  hearts  are  waxed  hght  within  us  then, 
and  we  are  for  righting  our  ain  wrangs  and  fight- 
ing our  ain  battles.  But  when  the  hour  of  trouble 
comes  to  the  mind  or  the  body,  and  when  the 
hour  of  death  comes  that  comes  to  high  and  low, — 
lang  and  late  may  it  be  yours !  O,  my  leddy, 
then  it  is  na  what  we  hae  diuie  for  oursclls,  but 
what  hae  dune  for  others^  that  we  think  on  maist 
pleasantly." 

Yes,  but  long  this  side  of  that  august  hour  when 
hfe  passes  before  us  as  in  procession,  for  review, 
the  true  child  of  God  who  hath  partaken  of  His 
Spirit  has  learned  the  higher  compensation  of  fel- 
lowship with  Jesus.  His  yoke  is  easy  and  His 
burden  is  light,  and  even  His  cross  is  no  longer 
heavy. 

Somewhere  I  have  met  a  fable,  that  when  God 
first  made  the  birds  He  made  them  without  wings. 
With  gorgeous  plumage  and  sweet  voices  endowed 
they  could  shine  and  sing,  but  could  not  soar.  Then 
He  made  wings  and  bade  the  birds  go  take  up 
these  burdens  and  bear  them.  At  first  they  seemed 
a  heavy  load,  but  as  they  bore  them  upon  their 
shoulders  and  folded  them  over  their  heart,  lo ! 
they  grew  fast — the  burdens  became  pinions,  and 


1 88  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

that  which  once  they  bore  now  bore  them  up 
toward  heaven.  The  fable  is  fact.  We  are  the 
wingless  birds,  and  our  duties  are  the  pinions. 
When  at  the  beck  of  God  we  first  assume  them, 
they  may  seem  but  burdens.  But  if  we  cheerfully 
and  patiently  bear  them,  they  cease  to  be  a  load. 
The  burdens  change  to  wings — they  bear  us  up 
and  on  toward  the  cloudless  heaven  of  His  pres- 
ence. As  the  beloved  Samuel  Rutherford  says, 
"  The  cross  of  Christ  is  the  sweetest  burden  that 
ever  I  bore :  it  is  such  a  burden  as  are  wings  to 
a  bird  or  sails  to  a  ship,  to  carry  me  forward  to 
my  desired  haven. 

^'Schola  crucis  est  schola  lucis." 

Fellow-disciples,  let  us  cheerfully  take  up  our 
duties,  and  the  wingless  birds  shall  find  those 
duties  turned  to  dehghts,  and  the  burdens  borne 
for  Christ  transformed  to  pinions  to  bear  aloft  the 
burden-bearer  to  the  cloudless  realm  of  the  divine 
presence ! 


THE  DIVINE  FORCE  OF  MISSIONS. 


ROM  man's  creation  until  now,  one  great 
question  has  occupied  human  research, 
viz:    What  is  Power ? 

Whence  comes,  in  any  sphere,  the  faculty  or 
ability  to  do — to  accomplish  a  work,  to  achieve  a 
result  %  Back  of  effects  he  causes,  but  many  causes 
are  also  effects,  and  it  is  power  which  makes  a 
cause  efficient  and  sufficient  to  produce  an  effect. 
The  question  we  now  suggest  concerns  the  origin 
of  force  and  the  primal  secret  of  efficacy. 

What  men  have  sought  in  the  sphere  of  natural 
philosophy,  we  are  now  to  seek  in  the  sphere  of 
the  moral  and  spiritual.  In  the  prosecution  of 
Christian  missions  what  is  the  secret  of  success,  the 
source  of  power  %  In  discussing  this  question  we 
are  getting  further  toward  the  heart  of  our  great 
theme.  We  have  seen  what  constitutes  the  spirit 
of  a  true  missionary ;  but  this  inquiry  is  even  more 
radical. 

The  secret  of  power  is  not  human,  but  divine, 
and  even  so  far  as  it  is  found  in  humanity  has  an 
element  of  divinity.     The  Word  of  God,  which 


190 


THE   DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 


proves  in  all  things  such  an  adequate  guide,  teaches 
us  the  whole  truth  that  we  need  to  know  upon  this 
subject. 

We  select  two  representative  passages,  which 
again  we  put  side  by  side  for  comparison  and 
completeness  of  view. 


"  And  Jesus  came  and 
spake  unto  them  saying  : 

"All  POWER  is  given  un- 
to me  in  Heaven  and  in 
Earth. 

"  Go  ye  therefore  and 
teach  all  nations.  .  ,  . 

"And  lo  I  am  with  you 
alway  even  unto  the  end 
of  the  age.     Amen." 

Matt,  xxviii.  18-20. 


"And  behold  I  send  the 
promise  of  my  Father  upon 
you ; 

"  But  tarry  ye  in  the  city 
of  Jerusalem  until  ye  be 
endued  with  power  from 
on  High."     Luke  xxiv.  49. 

"  But   ye    shall    receive 

power  after  that  the  Holy 

Ghost  is  come  upon  you." 

Acts  i.  8. 


It  will  be  noticed  that  here  three  times  we  have 
this  word  "  power,"  and  the  repetition  is  significant. 
In  the  first  case,  it  is  associated  with  the  Son, 
who  here  claims  for  Himself  omnipotence,  both  in 
heaven  and  in  earth.  In  the  second  case,  it  is 
associated  with  the  Father,  as  proceeding  forth 
from  Him,  and  as  His  gift  in  connection  with  the 
mission  of  believers ;  and  in  the  third  case,  it  is 
associated  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  His  enduement 
and  endowment. 

Again,  it  is  noticeable  that  in  one  case  the  power 
is  linked  with  Christ's  promised  presence ;  and  in 
the  other  it  is  distinctly  termed  "  the  promise  of 
the  Father."  Where  such  manifest  care  is  taken 
in  the  discrimination  of  language,  it  would  be 


THE  FORCE   OF  MISSIONS.  191 

trifling  to  suppose  that  there  is  intended  to  be  no 
corresponding  discrimination  in  the  thoughts. 

Long  and  close  study  of  this  theme  satisfies  me 
that  the  hne  of  distinction  here  drawn  is  not  only 
clear,  but  very  important.  The  power,  vested  in 
the  Son  and  exercised  by  Him,  and  the  power, 
bestowed  by  the  Father  and  realized  by  the  Holy 
Ghost,  resident  in  and  exercised  by  believers,  is 
not  and  cannot  be  the  same.  The  subject  touches 
all  missionary  work  at  points  so  vital  that  it  is  well 
to  give  careful  attention  to  the  exact  language 
used  in  each  case.  The  inspired  Word  of  God  is 
written  with  divine  care  and  discrimination.  It 
reminds  us  of  a  master-painting,  in  which  not 
only  the  bolder  and  more  prominent  outlines  and 
strongly  contrasted  objects  repay  close  study  ;  but 
where  the  most  delicate  shades  of  color  and  hues 
of  drawing  have  a  significance,  hke  the  most 
minute  features  of  the  Parthenon  where,  as  Penrose 
has  shown,  every  line  was  the  sign  and  fruit  of 
artistic  genius. 

Our  Lord  says,  "All  power  is  given  unto  me  in 
heaven  and  in  earth ;  and  lo,  I  am  with  you  alway, 
even  unto  the  end,"  etc.  The  word  here  used  is 
not  power  {dwafiig),  but  (e^ovaia),  authority, 
rule,  dominion,  jurisdiction.  Christ  is  head  over 
all  to  the  Church,  and  governor  among  the  na- 
tions. His  is  administrative  power,  on  the  throne 
of  universal  empire  and  on  the  field  of  battle  and 
conquest.     This  truth  is  further  beautifully  and 


192  THE  DIVINE   ENTERPRISE. 

impressively  set  forth  in  two  conspicuous  passages 
of  Scripture,  one  of  which  is  a  didactic  psalm  and 
poem,  the  other  a  historic  narrative  which  hides 
an  undoubted  allegorical  meaning  behind  the 
historical  fact.  Comparing  spiritual  things  with 
spiritual,  we  may  draw  from  these  Scriptures  some 
grand  and  instructive  and  inspiring  lessons ;  and 
because  they  are  representative  passages,  we  may 
well  examine  them  minutely. 

I.  The  first  of  them  is  the  second  Psalm.  Here 
the  Psalmist  has  a  far-sighted  vision  of  Messiah, 
as  set  by  Jehovah,  upon  the  throne  of  dominion ; 
and  it  clearly  pertains,  not  to  the  trhimp/iant,  but 
to  the  militant  period.  All  are  not  subdued  under 
his  sway,  but  in  a  state  of  rebellion  and  revolt.  It 
is  not  a  converted  world  over  which  Messiah  holds 
the  reins  of  empire,  but  over  a  godless  and  faith- 
less host  of  rebels.  "  The  heathen  rage,"  as  in  a 
tumultuous  assembly,  and  the  peoples  of  many 
lands  meditate  and  cogitate  in  anger  and  malice, 
how  they  may  overthrow  the  kingdom  of  Imman- 
uel.  "  The  kings  of  the  earth  set  themselves  "  in 
a  posture  of  defiance,  as  did  Gohath  against  the 
army  of  Israel  and  Israel's  God,  in  resistance  both 
to  Jehovah  and  to  His  anointed  Theocratic  King  ; 
while  the  rulers,  like  a  great  sanhedrin  of  Satan, 
meet  in  council  to  conspire  against  them,  and,  like 
yoked  oxen  that  chafe  under  restraint,  seek  to 
break  asunder  their  "bands"  and  cast  off  their 
"cords."     There  is  no  mistaking  such  a  figure, 


THE  FORCE   OF  MISSIONS.  193 

We  seem  to  see  the  enemies  of  God  rising  up 
against  the  Father  and  the  Son  with  frantic  tumult ; 
at  first  hke  the  wild  surge  of  a  stormy  sea,  a  dis- 
organized mob  of  rebels,  raging  heathen,  and 
angry  peoples.  Then  the  opposition  takes  form 
— is  organized  under  leaders ;  their  kings  take  a 
stand  against  God,  and  their  rulers  meet  in  council 
to  conspire  and  combine  in  a  league  of  hatred. 
Already  they  feel  the  bands  of  Messiah's  yoke 
tightening  about  them  and  the  cords  of  His  rule 
holding  them  fast,  and  they  toss  and  plunge  Hke 
a  mad  bull  to  get  rid  of  His  restraint.  The  whole 
sound  and  movement  of  the  original,  by  a  rhythm 
that  is  as  majestic  as  iambics  and  as  musical  as 
rhyme,  conveys  the  fury  and  rage  of  these  plot- 
ting foes,  who  rashly  rush  against  the  bosses  of 
Jehovah's  buckler. 

But  Jehovah,  seated  unapproachable  in  the  high- 
est heaven,  laughs,  scoffs,  at  their  vain  resistance, 
as  the  stars  scoff  in  derision  at  those  who  would 
quench  their  eternal  fires  or  shoot  them  down  from 
their  place  in  the  heavens.  God  sees  their  plan- 
nings  and  kickings  against  Him  to  be  vain ;  they 
only  hurt  themselves  on  His  goads ! 

In  the  midst  of  their  vain  boasting,  and  as  they 
are  gathering  for  organized  assault,  Jehovah  in 
holy  wrath  speaks  and  acts.  Herder  and  others 
compare  the  rhythm  of  the  original  and  the  choice 
of  terms  to  words  rolling  hke  thunder,  followed 
in  the  second  clause  by  a  deadly  scattering  of 


194  THE   DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

lightning-bolts.  While  they  mutter  helplessly  on 
earth,  God  thunders  from  heaven  and  hurls  down 
the  bolts  of  His  displeasure. 

"  Yet" — notwithstanding  all  this  impotent  rage — 
"  Yet  upon  my  holy  mount,  as  for  me,  I  have  set 
my  King."  The  reference  is  to  David ^  who,  as 
type  of  Messiah,  was  thrice  anointed  and  was 
God's  acknowledged  king  on  Zion,  while  as  yet 
seven  years  of  hostihty  were  to  intervene  before 
all  the  tribes  submitted  to  his  rule.  And  now 
Messiah  takes  up  the  word  of  Jehovah  and  de- 
clares the  Divine  decree.  He  says,  "  I  will  tell  of 
a  decree  eternal,  unchangeable  by  virtue  of  which 
I  reign.  Jehovah  said  unto  me.  Thou  art  my  Son, 
and  as  Son,  heir  to  my  empire."  *'  This  day  have 
I,  even  I,  begotten  Thee."  As  Messiah  is  repre- 
sented as  uncreated  and  eternally  begotten,  this 
cannot  refer  to  existence,  as  then  begun,  but  to  a 
new  existence,  or  career,  a  re -begetting  by  virtue 
of  which  Messiah  now  takes  the  throne  of  the 
world,  and  of  all  that  it  involves.  What  that  day 
is,  other  Scriptures  leave  us  in  no  doubt — it  was 
the  day  of  Christ's  Resurrection.^  Hebrew  scholars 
tell  us  that  the  word  here  translated  "  begotten  " 
may  refer  to  either  parent,  but  more  strictly  be- 
longs to  the  jnothcr.  The  earth,  from  her  womb, 
His  gi-ave,  on  that  day  brought  forth  God's  first 
born  from  the  dead,  henceforth  to  have  in  all  things 
the  pre-eminence ;    and  to  reign  over  the  earth 

*  Acts  xiii.  33 ;  Rom.  i.  4 ;  Col.  i.  18. 


rilE   FORCE    OF  MISS/OXS.  195 

that,  in  this  new  birth  out  of  death,  brought  Him 
forth,  declaring  Him  to  be  "  the  Son  of  God  with 
power  by  the  resurrection  from  among  the  dead." 

The  examination  of  this  psalm  has  been  thus 
tediously  explicit,  because,  upon  our  right  under- 
standing of  the  circumstances  in  which  these 
words  are  spoken,  all  else  depends.  Jesus,  rising 
from  the  dead,  claims  the  throne  of  the  world, 
which  the  first  Adam  forfeited  by  sin.  The  world 
is  not  ready  for  His  rule,  though  He  is  ready  to 
rule  the  world.  His  sceptre  is  in  His  hand  and 
the  decree  has  gone  forth  ;  from  that  Resurrection 
Day  when  He  rose  for  our  justification  and  broke 
the  power  of  death  and  the  devil,  the  throne  of 
the  world  was  His.  But  the  heathen  and  the 
peoples  at  large  were  yet  in  revolt  both  against 
Jehovah  and  against  His  Messianic  King.  Amid 
this  confusion  of  tumult  and  riot,  God  again  says : 

"Ask  of  me  and  I  will  give  thee  the  heathen 
for  thine  inheritance  and  the  uttermost  parts  of 
the  earth  for  thy  possession."  That  is  to  say,  like 
an  irresistible  monarch,  even  the  revolted  subjects 
are  part  of  His  "  inheritance,"  and  the  uttermost 
parts  of  the  earth  that  have  neither  yielded  to  His 
rule  nor  heard  of  His  resurrection  belong  to  His 
"possession."  This  verse  has,  in  countless  cases, 
been  made  the  text  for  missionary  sermons ;  and 
from  it  have  been  drawn  prophecies  of  Christ's 
gracious  conquests  in  converting  all  mankind. 
But  does  this  verse  or  this  psalm  bear  any  such 


196  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

construction  ?  Read  the  next  verse  :  ''  Thou  shalt 
break  them  with  a  rod  of  iron :  thou  shalt  dash 
them  in  pieces  hke  a  potter's  vessel."  Remember 
the  nations  and  their  kings  are  in  trvolt,  and  they 
are  broken  with  an  iron  sceptre,  dashed  into  frag- 
ments like  a  potter's  vessel  that  cannot  be  mended. 
(Jer.  xix.  1 1  ;  Matt.  xxiv.  5 1  ;  Rev.  ii.  27;  xii.  5  ; 
xix.  15.)  And  what  is  the  conclusion?  The 
Psalmist  counsels  immediate  and  universal  submis- 
sion ;  seeing  the  resistless  power  of  Jehovah  and 
of  His  anointed,  and  the  impotency  of  human 
rage,  He  appeals  to  rebels  to  lay  down  their 
weapons,  and,  instead  of  kicking  against  the  rule 
of  Messiah,  kiss  Him  in  homage  and  serve  Him 
with  holy  trembling  and  trust. 

This  psalm  may  be  regarded  as  the  key  to  a 
large  part  of  both  New  and  Old  Testament  truth, 
and  we  have  followed  it,  verse  by  verse,  that  this 
key  might  be  in  our  hands  with  which  to  unlock 
the  prophecies  and  open  the  real  inner  meaning 
of  the  promises.  Christ,  when  He  rose  from  the 
dead,  ascended  to  the  throne,  and  assumed  the 
sceptre.  He  had  already  been  secretly  anointed 
for  kingship  far  back  in  the  ages  of  eternity. 
Now  a  second  time  anointed  by  the  Holy  Ghost, 
He  took  the  throne  with  the  concurrence  of  His 
chosen  Church.  The  time  is  coming  when,  by  the 
consent  of  a  converted  humanity.  He  will  be  once 
more  anointed  universal  King,  and  reign  over  a 
regenerate  earth.     Meanwhile  the  sevenfold  period 


THE  FORCE   OF  MISSIONS.  19? 

of  resistance  must  pass,  and  in  that  period  we  are 
now.  When  Christ,  risen  from  the  dead  and 
about  to  take  another  step  upward  to  the  throne, 
said,  "All  power  is  given  unto  me  in  heaven  and 
in  earth.  Go  ye  therefore  and  disciple  all  nations, 
and  lo,  I  am  with  you  alway,"  He  knew  that 
hundreds  and  thousands  of  years  lay  before  Him 
and  His  Church,  during  which  that  rule  was  to  be 
disputed  and  antagonized ;  He  was  sending  dis- 
ciples forth  as  sheep  among  wolves ;  they  would 
be  persecuted,  imprisoned,  slain ;  His  witnesses 
would  be  martyrs — death  would  be  the  end  of 
their  service  and  suffering — instead  of  seeming 
victory,  apparent  defeat.  And  so  He  held  out  no 
false  hopes — no  assurance  that  the  time  had  come 
to  restore  again  the  kingdom  to  Israel,  or  to  begin 
His  millennial  reign.  He  knew  that,  while  two 
tribes  might  acknowledge  Him,  ten  would  be  in 
revolt.  Century  after  century  would  pass  and  still 
the  world  would  not  have  Him  to  reign  over  them ; 
and  even  the  Church  would  fall  into  apostasy 
and  a  form  of  godliness  take  the  place  of  its  power. 
But  He  says,  "  I  go  to  my  Father  and  yours,  my 
God  and  yours,"  "  I  go  to  take  my  sceptre,"  "All 
power  is  mine  in  heaven  and  in  earth.  Go  ye 
therefore — make  disciples  from  all  nations — every- 
where preach — bear  witness.  You  shall  be  hated  of 
all  men  for  my  name's  sake  ;  you  shall  be  scourged, 
put  in  prison,  put  to  death,  but  all  this  shall  turn 
to  you  for  a  testimony — a  part  of  your  witness- 


198  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

bearing.  You  will  find  the  heathen  raging,  the 
peoples  plotting,  kings  and  rulers  conspiring ;  let 
them  try  to  demolish  my  throne  and  break  the 
bands  of  my  rule !  Their  efforts  shall  be  met 
with  derisive  scorn."  The  wrath  of  man  shall 
praise  Him,  and  the  remainder  of  wrath  will  He 
restrain.  When  crises  come  which  can  in  no 
other  way  be  met,  and  violence  reaches  its  height 
of  daring  and  defiance,  the  Messianic  King  vin- 
dicates Himself  and  His  servants ;  He  stretches 
out  His  hand  and  with  His  iron  sceptre  breaks 
into  pieces  His  foes. 

Here  is  the  hope  of  missions  in  the  darkest  days 
— this  Psalm,  so  often  applied  to  the  Church 
Triumphant,  was  meant  for  the  Church  Militant ; 
and  never  was  it  needed  more  than  now,  when, 
in  so  many  parts  of  the  field  of  missions,  we  seem 
met,  as  among  the  Brahmans  of  India  and  the 
Mohammedans  of  Persia,  by  persistent  resistance. 
Christ  has  all  power  and  is  on  the  throne,  "  Go 
ye,"  missionaries — He  is  "  with  you  alway,"  even 
to  the  end  of  this  age  of  organized  and  violent 
opposition.  When  you  find  yourselves  driven  to 
the  wall  and  the  cause  seems  hopeless,  appeal  to 
Him,  and  He  will  appear  for  you :  it  may  be  in 
the  conquest  of  grace,  it  may  be  in  the  awful  con- 
quest of  wrath,  but  rejoice,  He  is  King ! 

An  example  or  two  of  this  interposition  should 
be  put  on  permanent  record.  The  year  1839  was 
the  great  pivotal  year  of  Turkish  missions.     Per- 


THE   FORCE   OF  MISSIONS.  199 

secution  bared  her  red  right  arm.  The  bitter 
hostiHty  of  the  Armenian  Church  broke  out  in  a 
storm.  The  despotic  head  of  the  Turkish  govern- 
ment, Sukan  Mahmoud,  united  his  civil  power 
with  their  ecclesiastical,  to  extirpate  the  Christian 
heretics.  The  work,  begun  in  1831  by  WiUiam 
Goodell,  seemed  hkely,  after  twenty  years,  to  fall 
in  a  crash  into  ruins.  Mr.  Sahakian,  an  evangel- 
ical Armenian  and  teacher,  was  thrown  into  prison 
without  trial,  or  even  knowledge  of  the  charges 
made  against  him.  He  and  Boghos  Fizika,  an- 
other of  like  character,  were  sent  four  hundred 
miles  into  exile.  Der  Kevork,  a  pious  priest,  was 
put  in  a  cell.  The  Greek  patriarch  thundered  out 
a  bull  of  excommunication,  and  nothing  less  than 
the  banishment  of  all  the  missionaries  was  deter- 
mined upon.  The  persecution  waxed  hotter  and 
fiercer,  and  the  missionaries  were  formally  accused 
before  the  Sublime  Porte,  and  Messrs.  Hamlin 
and  Goodell,  who  were  the  only  ones  at  that  time 
in  the  country,  expected  summary  orders  to  leave. 
An  order  was  obtained  from  Mahmud  for  their 
expulsion,  and  that  of  all  missionaries.  Commo- 
dore Porter  could  not  interpose,  as  the  treaty  with 
the  United  States  was  only  commercial,  and  there 
seemed  no  human  hope.  In  that  darkest  hour  of 
Turkish  missions,  the  pioneer  Goodell,  in  his 
peculiar  way,  said :  "  The  Great  Sultan  of  the 
Universe  can  change  all  this."  The  missionaries, 
sorely  beset,  took  refuge  in  the  91st  Psalm.     They 


2  00  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

besought  the  Lord  to  come  down  as  in  the  days 
of  old,  and  make  the  mountains  flow  down  at  His 
presence.  While  their  hands  were  yet  lifted  in 
prayer,  on  July  i,  1839,  Sultaii  Mahmtid  died. 
Not  only  did  God  interpose,  but  by  a  series  of  the 
most  striking  providences  on  record  in  history, 
the  power  of  their  foes  was  broken.  Six  days 
before,  the  Turkish  forces  had  been  routed  near 
Aleppo ;  an  exhausted  treasury  absorbed  govern- 
mental attention ;  a  fearful  conflagration  visited 
Constantinople,  August  9th,  and  from  3,000  to 
4,000  houses  were  reduced  to  ashes.  God's  hand 
was  laid  heavily  on  the  Armenians  who  led  in  the 
persecution.  And  so  marked  was  the  evidence 
of  a  divine  interposition  that  it  was  a  common 
saying  that  God  was  taking  the  side  of  the  perse- 
cuted and  vindicating  their  cause.  In  fact,  a 
council  was  called  and  the  exiles  were  recalled, 
and  all  rigorous  measures  suspended.  The  leaders 
were  unchanged  in  spirit,  but  they  were  not  un- 
awed.  They  saw  an  Almighty  Hand  uphfted  to 
arrest  the  arm  of  intolerance,  and  they  dared  not 
go  forward. 

Abdul  Medjid,  at  sixteen,  succeeded  his  father. 
God's  work  took  a  fresh  start,  and  four  months 
later,  before  a  grand  imperial  Diet,  he  caused  to 
be  read  to  the  august  assemblage  the  first  formal 
Bill  of  Rights,  the  Magna  Charta  of  Turkey,  the 
Hatti  Sherif  of  Gul  Hane,  the  primary  charter  of 
hberty  which  was  the  first  of  a  series  of  constitu- 


THE  FORCE   OF  MISSIONS.  201 

tional  guarantees  culminating  in  the  Hatti  Huma- 
youn  of  1856.  When  it  is  remembered  that  the 
Sultan's  throne  represents  one  of  the  most  despotic 
governments  ever  known,  nothing  can  account  for 
such  concessions  except  the  power  of  Him  in 
whose  hands  are  the  hearts  of  kings,  and  who 
tumeth  them  whithersoever  He  will. 

Siam  furnishes  another  marked  illustration. 
From  the  time,  in  1819,  when  the  first  Christian 
book,  a  catechism  from  the  hand  of  Mrs.  Ann 
Hasseltine  Judson,  was  printed  in  Siamese,  and  the 
first  step  was  thus  taken  toward  the  evangelization 
of  that  Oriental  Eden,  down  to  1851,  but  little 
progress  was  made.  Dr.  Gutzlaff  and  Rev.  Mr. 
Tomlin,  who  arrived  in  1828,  appear  to  have  been 
the  first  Protestant  missionaries  to  set  foot  on 
Siamese  soil.  They  undertook  labor  among  the 
Chinese  residents  in  Bangkok,  began  to  heal  the 
sick,  and  distribute  books.  The  Jesuits  sought 
their  expulsion ;  the  suspicious  natives  charged 
them  with  being  spies  and  seeking  to  incite  the 
Chinese  to  rebellion.  Mr.  Tomlin  was  taken  ill 
and  went  back  to  Singapore  ;  Dr.  Gutzlaff  himself, 
after  less  than  two  years'  stay,  sailed  for  China, 
leaving  behind  him  the  whole  Bible  translated  into 
Siamese,  and  one  baptized  convert.  Then,  twelve 
days  later,  came  David  Abeel,  the  first  American 
missionary  to  Siam.  Dr.  D.  B.  Bradley,  of  the 
A.  B.  C.  F.  M. ;  and  Dr.  Wm.  Dean,  of  the  Ameri- 
can Baptists,  came  in  1835  ;  ^"<^  the  merit-making 


202  THE  DIVINE   ENTERPRISE. 

Buddhists  became  jealous,  and  complained  to  the 
government.  Various  events  conspired  to  excite 
the  people  and  distiub  the  king,  and  it  was  rumored 
that  a  plot  was  on  foot  to  burn  down  the  houses 
of  the  mission.  Five  days  were  given  the  little 
band  to  leave  the  premises,  and  they  were  scattered 
in  different  directions,  finding  shelter  as  best  they 
could.  In  1840,  the  Board  of  Missions  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  of  the  United  States  assumed 
the  entire  work  of  evangelizing  the  Siamese.  Rev. 
W.  P.  Buell  and  wife,  who  came  that  year,  had  to 
leave  in  1844.  Three  years  elapsed  and  Rev. 
Stephen  Mattoon  and  Samuel  R.  House,  M.D., 
came  in  their  stead.  They  undertook  the  work 
bravely,  studied,  preached,  printed  books,  and 
practiced  medicine.  But  the  suspicious  king,  jeal- 
ous of  their  growing  influence  and  the  "merit- 
making  "  of  the  physicians,  actively  though  secretly 
opposed  them.  This  malignant  despot  threw  all 
his  influence  against  the  missionaries.  He  so  con- 
trolled his  slavish  subjects  that  none  of  them  would 
sell  or  rent  a  house  for  the  use  of  the  mission- 
aries, or  even  a  site  on  which  to  build.  Their  native 
teachers  were  thrown  into  prison,  their  servants 
fled,  and  the  people  would  not  so  much  as  sell  them 
food.  Opposition,  carried  to  the  point  of  star- 
vation, seemed  to  leave  room  for  no  choice :  they 
must  leave  Bangkok  by  the  next  steamer.  To 
make  things  worse.  Sir  James  Brooks,  who  came 
to  treat  with  the  Siamese  king  in  behalf  of  Great 


THE   FOKCE   OF  MISSIONS.  203 

Britian,  was  so  insulted  that  he  left  in  anger,  threat- 
ening to  invoke  the  aid  of  force  in  opening  the 
country.  Humanly  speaking,  the  missionary  labors 
begun  thirty-two  years  before  were  about  to  come 
to  a  disastrous  conclusion.  There  was  but  one 
hope ;  it  lay  in  an  appeal  to  the  throne  of  Grace. 
The  missionaries  looked,  for  dehverance,  to  God. 
The  kings  of  the  earth  again  took  counsel  to  break 
His  bands  asunder  and  cast  away  His  cords.  But 
at  this  critical  juncture,  when  all  these  complica- 
tions were  culminating,  He  who  sits  on  the  throne 
stretched  forth  His  rod  of  iron  and  broke  in  pieces, 
like  a  potter's  vessel,  this  treacherous  king.  April 
3,  1 85 1 ,  he  died.  And, — what  is  far  more  wonder- 
ful,— upon  that  death  hung  a  change  in  the  whole 
state  of  affairs,  and  all  succeeding  history  was  to  be 
cast  in  a  new  mould.  We  write  it  in  large  charac- 
ters, that  he  who  runs  may  read,  even  at  a  cursory 
glance.  There  was  one  man  in  the  kingdom, 
Maha  Mono  Kut,  in  the  cell  of  a  Buddhist  mon- 
astery, who  had  been  taught  in  language  and 
science  by  Rev.  J.  Caswell,  a  missionary  of  the 
American  Board.  His  heart  was  full  of  friendli- 
ness toward  the  missionaries  and  of  the  liberal  and 
catholic  policy  imbibed  through  familiar  contact 
with  his  Christian  teacher.  Upon  him  the  choice 
of  the  assembly  of  nobles  fell,  and  the  priest  left  his 
cell  to  mount  the  throne  of  the  "  Sacred  Prabahts." 
For  seventeen  years  he  reigned,  a  scholar  and  a 
gentleman  who  appreciated  civilization,  and  in- 


204  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

augurated  the  most  enlightened  and  progressive 
policy  ever  known  among  Asiatic  sovereigns ! 
Every  condition  was  changed.  Missionaries  found 
permanent  homes — and  even  a  welcome  at  com-t. 
And  that  very  year  the  women  of  the  mission  were 
admitted  as  teachers  into  the  royal  harem.  The 
work  begmi  by  the  deft  and  delicate  hand  of  the 
seraphic  Mrs.  Judson  was,  after  a  generation  had 
passed  away,  earned  on  by  her  sisterhood.  And 
from  that  time  to  this,  dm-ing  forty  years,  the  world 
has  looked  with  astonishment  upon  the  attitude  of 
the  Siamese  nation,  that  in  one  day  was  changed 
from  hostihty  to  friendship  in  answer  to  believing 
prayer.  Maha  Mong  Kut  proclaimed  religious 
liberty  throughout  the  land,  in  1870,  and  his  son 
has  followed  his  example  in  all  Hberal  policy. 

Chulalangkorn,  who  succeeded  Maha  Mong 
Kut,  has  been  called  the  ''  wisest  and  best  ruler  " 
the  kingdom  has  ever  known,  and  with  his  wife 
has  been  the  friend  of  Christian  missions.  Born 
in  1853,  he  is  now  but  thirty-eight  years  old,  and 
has  reigned  since  November  11,  1868. 

These  two  instances,  out  of  hundreds,  are  chosen 
as  striking  illustrations  of  Christ's  divine  adminis- 
tration of  missions.  Here  rulers  conspired  against 
God's  anointed ;  everything  to  human  eyes  threat- 
ened the  wreck  of  years  of  work  for  His  kingdom. 
And,  when  the  crisis  came,  He  sent  forth  His 
word,  and  His  invisible  messenger  brought  death 
to  impious  monarchs,     Like  a  potter's  vessel,  they 


THE  FORCE   OF  MISSIONS.  205 

were  shivered  in  pieces,  beyond  repair  or  remedy. 
And  of  such  interpositions  of  Providence  mission- 
ary history  is  full. 

2.  The  other  passage  which  throws  Hght  upon  our 
Lord's  promised  presence  and  power,  is  the  story 
of  the  Capture  of  JericJio.  No  one  can  study  that 
narrative  without  saying  within  himself,  "  Which 
things  are  an  allegory."  The  book  of  Joshua  is 
the  book  of  a  mihtant  Church,  the  wars  of  the 
Canaanites ;  it  is  the  book  of  entrance  and  con- 
quest, possession  and  dispossession ;  even  in  the 
promised  land  God's  people  found  long,  hard 
fighting,  and  every  inch  of  advance  disputed. 
The  capture  of  Jericho  is  the  first  great  step,  the 
typical  conflict ;  and  notice  how  it  was  conducted. 
A  strange  personage  appears  on  the  scene  and 
announces  himself  to  Joshua  as  "  the  Captain  of 
the  Lord's  host."  Joshua  perceives  his  divine 
character,  and  humbly  and  adoringly  gives  into 
his  hands  the  sceptre  of  leadership. 

His  directions  were  exphcit,  and  were  imphcitly 
followed.  The  city  was  to  be  compassed  about 
once  a  day  for  six  days,  and  seven  times  on  the 
seventh  day.  The  Ark  of  the  Testimony  was 
borne — the  priests  blew  the  trumpets,  and  at  a 
given  signal  the  whole  host  shouted  with  a  great 
shout  of  anticipative  victory.  Then,  without  one 
blow  being  struck,  or  one  carnal  weapon  being 
used,  the  walls  fell  flat,  and  it  remained  only  for 
the  host  to  march  over  the  ruins  and  take  the  city 


2o6  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

captive.  What  an  object  lesson  on  missions  !  A 
militant  Church  undertakes  to  take  possession  of 
the  earth  promised  to  her  as  her  joint  inheritance 
with  her  Lord  and  Head.  At  every  step  her 
advance  has  met  with  deadly  opposition.  But  the 
Invisible  Captain  of  the  Lord's  host  is  on  the 
battle-field,  and  his  orders  are  explicit.  We  are 
to  surround  every  stronghold,  we  are  to  bear  the 
sacred  treasure,  our  testimony  for  God,  in  the  very 
van,  and  blow  the  trumpet  of  the  Gospel  herald. 
We  are  not  to  meet  violence  with  violence,  or  hate 
with  hate ;  we  are  to  use  no  carnal  weapons,  rely  on 
no  worldly  alHances  of  power  or  patronage,  wisdom 
or  wealth.  It  is  not  by  pov/er  nor  might ;  the 
weapons  of  our  warfare  are  not  carnal,  but  mighty 
through  God  to  the  pulling  down  of  strongholds, 
casting  down  imaginations  and  every  high  thing 
that  exalteth  itself  against  the  knowledge  of  God, 
and  bringing  every  thought  into  captivity  to  the 
obedience  of  Christ.  This  is  the  way  to  fulfil  our 
obedience,  and  so  revenge  the  disobedience  of 
men.  Let  men  deride  our  methods ;  as  we  scorn 
worldly  policy  and  simply  blow  the  Gospel  trumpet, 
God  is  pleased  by  the  foolishness  of  preaching  to 
save  them  that  believe — that  the  excellency  of  the 
power  may  be  of  God,  and  not  of  us. 

This,  then,  is  the  dual  power  of  Christ's  promised 
presence.  He  is  on  the  throne,  watching  over  the 
affairs  of  His  Mihtant  Church.  He  scorns  the 
impotent  malice  of  His  foes  and,  when  they  persist 


THE   FORCE   OF  MISSIONS.  207 

in  rage,  breaks  them  in  pieces.  The  same  sceptre 
that  to  His  Church  is  golden — the  sceptre  of  de- 
fence and  protection  and  blessing — is  to  implac- 
able enemies  an  iron  rod  of  destruction  and  wrath 
and  cursing.  And  He,  who  from  the  throne  sends 
forth  law  and  judgment,  from  the  battle-field  directs 
the  fray  and  leads  on  the  host;  and,  if  we  but 
cultivate  the  clear- seeing  eye,  we  may  behold  His 
white  plume  and  white  horse  as  He  rides  forth 
conquering  and  to  conquer. 

This  story  of  Jericho  is  full  of  inspiration  in  the 
work  of  missions.  It  shows  us  the  Invisible  Cap- 
tain of  our  salvation,  standing  sword  in  hand  on 
the  very  field  of  battle,  our  General-in-Chief.  He 
is  not  only  our  captain  but,  ''  Captain  of  the  Lord's 
Host,"  i.e.,  the  afigelic  host,  for  the  armed  men 
of  Israel  are  never  once  called  the  host  of  the 
Lord — though  once,  in  Exod.  xii.  41,  referred  to 
by  a  kindred  title.  And  here  again  we  observe  the 
cuiious  correspondence  between  the  scene  at  Jeri- 
cho and  the  words  of  that  last  commission.  "All 
power  is  given  unto  Me  in  heaven  and  on  earth  " 
— on  earth,  for  He  is  Leader  of  a  militant  Church ; 
in  heaven,  for  He  is  Captain  of  the  angelic  host. 
While  we  go  on  sounding  the  cornets  of  Jubilee 
and  proclaiming  the  Gospel,  surrounding  the 
strongholds  of  Satan,  He  is  with  us,  and  com- 
mands an  innumerable  company  of  angels ;  the 
powers  of  heaven  are  arrayed  on  our  side,  and, 
were  our  eyes  open,  we  might  see  the  horses  and 


2o8  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

chariots  of  fire — they  that  be  for  us  are  more  and 
mightier  than  all  they  that  be  against  us.  The 
angels  of  God  encamp  round  about  us  and  fight 
for  us  in  the  dark  day  of  battle.  Here,  then,  is 
the  first  and  foremost  hope  and  faith  of  the 
Church  in  her  mission  work.  The  Lord  Jesus  is 
on  the  throne  holding  the  reins  of  empire,  and  on 
the  field  of  conflict  directing  the  campaign.  No 
defeat  is  possible,  for  all  the  heavenly  host  are  our 
allies.  In  the  midst  of  the  dust  and  smoke  of 
battle,  when  victory  seems  to  perch  Hke  a  bird 
of  evil  omen  on  the  banners  of  the  foe,  and  when 
we  know  not  which  way  the  tide  of  battle  is  turn- 
ing, we  are  to  stand,  like  the  famous  gunner  of 
Waterloo,  by  our  guns  and  our  flag,  and  Hft  the 
eyes  of  faith  upward. 

And  now,  it  may  be  asked,  what  more  is 
needed?  Let  it  be  observed  that,  thus  far,  we 
have  power,  exerted  on  behalf  of  the  Church,  guid- 
ing, guarding,  and  governing  disciples,  and  assuring 
final  triumph  over  all  foes  of  the  kingdom.  This 
is  administrative  power. 

But  there  is  another  field  for  the  display  of 
power.  The  work  of  missions  is  primarily  con- 
structive,  not  destntctive.  It  aims  to  save,  not  to 
slay,  and  seeks  to  destroy  foes  by  making  them 
friends.  We  want  another  sort  of  power,  working 
upon  the  minds  and  hearts  of  men  and  converting 
the  sinner  into  the  saint,  and  the  unbeHever  and 
disbehever  into  the  believer.     We  need  a  power 


THE   FORCE    OF  MISSIONS,  209 

that  shall  induce  men  voluntarily  to  yield  to  Christ 
— not  simply  compel  them  involuntarily  to  sub- 
mit ;  to  take  His  yoke  upon  them  of  choice,  not 
of  dire  necessity,  hke  vanquished  foes.  And  just 
this  is  the  Power  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  promised  of 
the  Father,  and  which  our  Lord  counted  of  such 
importance  that  He  bade  disciples  tarry  until  they 
were  endued  with  this  power  from  on  high.  Here 
the  word  is  not  authority,  e^ovaia,  but  power, 
dvvafiig.  A  new  dynamic  force  was  to  be  communi- 
cated. The  Son  of  man  came  to  seek  and  to 
save  that  which  was  lost — not  to  destroy  men's 
Hves,  but  to  save  them.  And  therefore,  while  He 
holds  the  rod  of  iron,  and  when  necessary  will 
use  it.  He  would  have  all  men  to  be  saved  and 
come  to  the  full  knowledge  of  the  truth.  And  so 
He  holds  this  rod  of  iron  in  reserve,  while  He 
extends  the  golden  sceptre  of  His  grace  and  love 
and  pardon.  His  holy  anger  tarries  until  the  en- 
duement  from  on  high  has  done  its  work  on  disci- 
ples and  v/rought  its  sweet  persuasion  on  unbeliev- 
ers ;  then,  when  only  obstinate  and  obdurate 
and  reprobate  rejectors  of  grace  remain.  He  turns 
about  His  gracious  sceptre  and  uses  the  iron  end 
of  it  for  destruction. 

The  promise  of  the  Father,  then,  is  the  bestow- 
ment  of  the  Spirit  of  all  power  and  grace.  Pente- 
cost was  the  beginning  of  the  fulfilment  of  that 
promise,  and  Pentecost  was  typical.  AVe  see  how 
this  power  is  to  be  manifested  all  through  this  Gos- 


2IO  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

pel  age,  from  the  manifestation  of  it  then.  First  it 
catne  upon  disciples,  an  enduement  and  endow- 
ment. It  was  a  baptism,  a  chrism — a  clothing 
with  heavenly  energy,  an  anointing  with  celestial 
unction.  This  imparted  to  the  whole  man  a  new, 
pervasive,  persuasive  charm,  which  wrought  won- 
ders— convincing  the  mind,  persuading  the  heart, 
converting  the  will.  Three  thousand  under  one 
simple  sermon  yielded  immediately  to  God.  Here 
is  power  in  the  disci-pie,  fitting  him  to  witness,  and 
working  on  the  nnbeliever,  moving  him  to  repent- 
ance, faith,  conversion,  and  confession.  And  now 
nothing  more  can  be  required.  The  full  secret 
of  success  is  absolutely  found.  The  Chui'ch  of 
God,  tarrying  at  Jerusalem  for  the  Divine  anoint- 
ing, now  goes  forth  to  work  and  to  war.  Her 
witness  is  convincing  and  persuading,  and  all  be- 
cause a  heavenly  and  indescribable  charm  invests 
her  messengers.  Wherever  they  go,  taught  what 
to  say,  and  how  to  speak,  they  win  a  hearing. 
Men  tremble  even  on  the  throne;  peasant  and 
prince  alike  bow  before  a  divine  message  borne 
by  a  messenger  who  is  manifestly  clothed  with  the 
livery  and  insignia  of  heaven. 

Then,  when,  grace  has  done  its  work  and  per- 
sistent foes  who  will  not  yield  to  love  would  con- 
spire to  ruin  and  wreck  a  believing  Church,  the 
power  that  Christ  holds  in  reserve  for  the  crises 
of  His  kingdom  is  brought  into  awful  exercise. 

3.  Moreover,  it  seems  plainly  taught  us  that  there 


THE  FORCE   OF  MISSIONS.  211 

are  times  when  this  protective  and  destructive 
power  acts  co-ordinately  with  the  grace  that  con- 
verts and  saves,  both  by  way  of  preparation  and 
co-operation.  Judgment  sometimes  paves  the  way 
for  mercy,  so  that  mercy  rejoices  in  judgment. 
The  judgments  of  our  King  are  abroad  in  the 
earth,  and  the  inhabitants  of  the  world  learn  right- 
eousness. The  penalties  with  which  He  visits 
evil-doers  operate  as  a  check  upon  ungodliness 
and  turn  the  less  obdurate  transgressors  unto  God. 

Who  has  not  been  struck  with  certain  phrases 
in  the  Old  Testament,  as  when  God  calls  the 
swarms  of  locusts,  Joel  ii.  25,  ''My  great  army 
which  I  sent  among  you!"  And  anyone  who 
has  ever  lived  in  tropical  cHmes  and  witnessed  the 
terrible  devastation  they  leave  behind,  will  under- 
stand such  a  phrase.  These  swarms  come  hke  a 
living  deluge ;  they  cover  the  entire  face  of  the 
firmament.  In  Southern  Asia  and  Northern  Af- 
rica they  frequently  appear  in  clouds  that  hide 
the  sun  and  sky;  the  noise  they  make  in  their 
marching  and  feeding  is  hke  that  of  a  heavy  rain 
or  hail  falling  on  a  forest.  And  the  fields  where 
they  forage  are  swept  clean  of  every  green  thing, 
and  a  thousand  miles  is  not  an  extraordinary 
stretch  for  them  to  cover  with  desolation.  A  great 
army  indeed,  both  in  their  countless  hosts  and 
awful  power. 

There  is  something  awe-inspiring  in  the  thought 
of  the  whole  creation  constituting  God's  obedient 


212  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

host  of  armed  warriors,  the  winds  His  messengers, 
flames  of  fire  His  ministers,  the  sea  moving  at  His 
bidding,  and  the  hghtning-flash  acting  as  His  vassal. 
Caterpillars  and  canker-worms,  flies  and  locusts, 
floods  and  droughts,  snow-flakes  and  summer 
heats,  all  obey  and  fulfil  His  Word.  But  let  us 
consider  that  they  not  only  avenge  His  broken 
law,  but  prepare  the  way  for  His  Gospel !  How 
many  doors  has  the  skeleton  key  of  Famine  un- 
locked in  India,  in  China,  in  Persia,  in  Syria ! 
The  floods  recently  prevalent  in  the  Middle  King- 
dom were  God's  evangelizing  agencies.  The  in- 
habitants see  the  impotency  of  their  false  gods  to 
avert  calamity,  and  the  indifference  of  their  own 
people  to  their  extremity,  while  the  "  foreign 
devils  "  deal  bread  to  the  hungry  and  clothing  to  the 
naked,  and  give  shelter  to  the  homeless ;  and  thus 
famine,  pestilence,  plague,  drought,  and  a  thou- 
sand forms  of  evfl  are  God's  preachers,  that  with 
loud  voice  proclaim  the  powerlessness  of  all  idol- 
atry to  save  or  help,  and  point  to  the  hving  God 
and  the  cross  of  Christ,  as  the  hope  of  the  world. 
We  need  to  get  new  conceptions  of  Christian 
missions  and  the  Power  behind  the  mission  band. 
We  are  waging  warfare  against  iniquity  and  idol- 
atry; the  campaign  is  world-wide  and  age-long, 
the  foes  are  daring,  desperate,  diabolical ;  the 
strongholds  crown  every  hifl-top,  and  are  seemingly 
impregnable ;  but  the  Leader  is  Divine ;  His 
strategy.  His  methods.  His  weapons,  insure  vie- 


THE  FORCE   OF  MISSIONS.  213 

tory.  His  hosts  are  not  earthly  and  human  only, 
but  heavenly,  and  the  Church  has  only  to  be 
obedient,  cultivate  unity  within  and  loyalty  to  her 
Lord,  and  in  faith  blow  the  cornets  of  Jubilee  and 
use  the  mighty  rod  of  prayer,  and  His  banner  is 
over  the  whole  host.  Every  Roman  soldier  saw 
in  the  outspread  pinions  of  Rome's  silver  eagles  a 
signal  of  two  things :  first,  a  triumphal  flight  in 
wars  of  conquest,  and  secondly,  a  sheltering  wing 
for  every  Roman  citizen  in  the  hour  of  peril.  So 
to  us  must  the  banner  of  the  Cross  mean  victory 
and  safety,  conquest  for  Christ,  defeat  of  all  foes, 
defence  for  all  beHevers.  God  is  the  guard  of 
His  people.  *'  The  nation  and  kingdom  that  will 
not  serve  Thee  shall  perish."  Has  our  Lord  given 
His  Spirit  to  save  and  sanctify?  He  has  also 
"  created  the  Waster  to  destroy  "  ;  He  used  Baby- 
lon as  a  hammer  wherewith  to  smite  the  nations 
on  the  anvil  of  judgment ;  and  then  broke  the 
proud  hammer  itself  in  pieces.  And,  when  the 
kings  and  rulers  conspire  to  wreck  His  Church 
and  break  His  rule,  His  holy  wrath,  like  angry 
waves  on  the  seashore,  shall  sweep  over  them, 
and  as  with  the  sand-hills  and  forts  which  children 
build  on  the  strand,  leave  not  a  trace  behind ! 

4.  Before  bringing  this  discussion  to  a  close,  the 
power  of  the  Holy  Ghost  should  be  considered  in 
'\\.^T€[.2X\on\.o  otir  fitness  to  proclaim  the  good  tidings. 
The  authority  of  Christ  in  government  and  warfare 
touches  our  security  and  final  success.     But  this 


214  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

touches  our  duty  and  responsibility^  and  the  extent 
to  which  His  power  is  exerted  in  oiu:  behalf  may 
depend  upon  the  measure  of  our  conformity  to 
His  will.  Let  us  now  therefore  look,  for  a  little, 
at  the  effect  of  the  enduement  of  power  in  making 
the  missionary  mighty  in  his  work  for  God. 

In  all  work  in  which  man  co-operates  with  God, 
the  power  is  in  part  human  and  in  part  super- 
human and  divine ;  or,  to  speak  more  exactly,  the 
power  is  to  be  viewed  from  both  its  human  and 
divine  side,  in  order  to  be  fully  apprehended. 

Bearing  in  mind  that  great  word,  "witness," 
which  is  the  key  to  our  whole  work,  it  is  manifest 
that  we  can  never  separate  from  a  complete  con- 
ception of  power  in  mission  work,  the  character 
and  qualification  of  the  witness-bearer.  Buffon 
said  of  *'  Style,  it  is  the  man  "  ;  and  the  manner  of 
man  the  missionary  is  will  limit  even  the  exercise 
of  the  power  of  God.  Power  depends  for  effect- 
iveness upon  the  apphances  and  instruments 
through  which  it  finds  play.  Friction  is  resistance 
to  motion,  and  practically,  reduction  of  motive- 
power.  Even  God's  power  may  be  hindered  in 
action. 

The  element  of  7iaturalness  in  testimony  is  one 
of  the  first  conditions  of  power.  Constraint  and 
restraint,  if  they  do  not  tie  the  tongue,  put  fetters 
upon  speech  and  limit  its  freedom.  And  besides, 
they  are  contagious  and  infectious.  What  embar- 
rasses the  witness,  hinders  the  hearer  from  a  ready 


THE  FORCE   OE  MISSIONS.  2 1  5 

reception  and  a  frank  response.  But,  when  we 
speak  out  of  the  fulness  of  our  heart,  the  speech 
is  easy,  fluent,  natural,  necessary ;  we  win  a  hear- 
ing by  our  earnestness  and  absorption  in  our 
theme.  He  who  ''cannot  but  speak,'^  will  find 
others  who  cannot  but  hear.  There  is  a  strange 
eloquence,  convincing,  persuading,  in  any  man 
who  has  a  message  which  he  must  dehver ;  there 
is  about  any  speaker  who  is  thoroughly  enamored 
of  his  theme,  a  fascination  which  even  an  unlet- 
tered and  stammering  utterance  cannot  altogether 
destroy. 

The  efficiency  of  a  true  witness,  set  on  fire  of  a 
deep  heart  experience,  is  next  to  omnipotence :  it 
carries  before  it  all  opposition  like  a  flame  fed 
with  oxygen  and  fanned  by  high  winds.  Again 
we  afiirm  it :  the  power  to  convince  and  persuade 
is  the  power  of  being  convinced  and  persuaded. 
A  doubt  on  our  part  begets  a  doubt  in  others ; 
confidence  that  knows  no  hesitation  draws  others 
after  us  as  a  mighty  ocean  steamer  draws  in  its 
wake  smaller  craft.  Hence  it  was  that  Theremin 
defined  "  eloquence,  a  virtue'''  An  uncertain 
utterance  moves  nobody :  the  whole  man  must  be 
behind  his  message,  the  vir  behind  the  vis.  A 
positive  man  may  be  wrong,  but  like  God's 
anointed  king  he  melts  or  welds  other  wills  into 
his  own,  by  the  white  heat  of  his  own  conviction. 
And  hence  the  simplest  believer  may  attain  a 
power  as  a  witness  which  none  of  the  princes  of 


2i6  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

this  world  knew.  It  is  not  the  rhetoric  or  the 
logic  of  the  schools  which  charm  and  sway,  fas- 
cinate and  captivate  the  souls  of  men.  They 
listen  as  to  musical  sounds,  or  curious  echoes,  or 
the  deep  swell  of  the  sea,  but  they  are  not  moved. 
The  Latins  heard  Cicero's  enchanting  speech,  and 
they  said,  "  How  beautifully  he  declaims  !  "  The 
Greeks  heard  Demosthenes'  energetic,  impassioned 
utterance,  and  they  clenched  their  fists  and  said, 
"  Let  us  go  and  fight  Philip  !  " 

Sir  WilHam  Hamilton  one  day  said  to  Dr. 
McCosh,  ''Your  friend.  Dr.  Guthrie,  is  the  best 
preacher  I  ever  heard."  He  answered  that  he  did 
not  wonder  at  the  opinion,  but  was  surprised  to 
hear  it  expressed,  by  so  great  a  logician,  of  one 
not  specially  possessed  of  large  logical  power. 
Sir  William  replied  with  great  emphasis,  *'  Sir,  he 
has  the  best  of  all  logic ;  there  is  but  one  step 
between  his  premise  and  conclusion."  We  are 
not  sure  that  the  great  Scotch  metaphysician  ever 
uttered  a  profounder  saying.*  On  the  other  hand, 
how  we  instinctively  detect,  through  the  glamour  of 
fine  oratory,  the  features  of  the  disingenuous  and 
dishonest  man  !  ''  Surely,"  said  Dr.  Guthrie  himself 
to  Dr.  James  Hamilton,  "  there  must  be  something 
great  about  that  man  " — referring  to  a  demagogue 
who  for  some  years  had  been  drawing  the  people 
after  him.  "  Well,"  said  Dr.  Hamilton,  in  his  quaint, 
quiet  way,  "  no  doubt ;   he  is  a  great  impositio7i  I  " 

*  Life  of  Guthrie,  i,  322. 


THE  FORCE  OF  MISSIONS. 


217 


Paul  uses  the  significant  phrase,  "  Demonstra- 
tion of  the  Spirit."  There  is  no  process  of  logic 
that  is  equal  to  His,  for  convincing  of  sin,  of 
righteousness,  and  of  judgment.  The  most  elabo- 
rate human  argument  often  fails  to  demonstrate : 
the  Spirit  of  God  opens  the  blind  eye  and  flashes 
conviction  instantaneously  upon  the  soul. 

.  The  pilgrim  to  Scotland  reverently  stands  in  the 
graveyard  of  old  Greyfriar's  Church  in  Edinburgh. 
Here,  on  the  25th  of  February,  1638,  the  National 
Covenant  was  signed,  the  old  Earl  of  Sutherland 
setting  the  example.  A  moved  and  mighty  multi- 
tude surrounded  a  raised  horizontal  gravestone  in 
the  open  air  of  heaven.  And  they  were  not  con- 
tent to  sign  that  Covenant  in  ink.  Ah,  there  were 
vien  in  those  days ;  they  were  seen  to  open  a  vein 
in  their  arms  and  fill  their  pens  with  their  blood, 
to  mark  how  they  would  shed  that  blood  when 
the  battle-day  came ;  and  nobly  did  they  redeem 
their  pledges."  *  That  tombstone  is  vocal,  and, 
when  men  want  to  be  heroic,  they  go  to  that 
churchyard  and  stand  mute  before  the  martyrs' 
tablet  and  the  sacred  slab,  and  breathe  and  drink 
in  the  spirit  that  makes  hearts  brave  and  wills 
strong. 

Paul's  logic  was  this  of  the  new  life :  '*  We  also 
believe  and  therefore  speak"  ;  and  so,  though  they 
ridiculed  his  bodily  presence  as  weak,  and  his  speech 
as  contemptible,  wherever  he  went  he  got  a  hear- 

*  Life  of  Guthrie,  i,  363. 


2i8  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE, 

ing,  for  there  was  that  in  him  which  compelled  it. 
"  Father  Vassar,"  in  Boston,  had  a  marvellous 
fascination,  which  gave  him  access  to  those  who 
seemed  to  repel  all  ordinary  approach.  One  day 
he  accosted  a  worldly  and  fashionable  woman, 
and,  although  an  entire  stranger,  asked  her  plainly 
whether  she  had  ever  believed  in  Jesus  to  her 
soul's  salvation.  When  her  husband,  as  woridly 
as  she,  came  home  to  his  dinner,  she  told  him  of 
the  strange  man  who  had  met  her  and  at  once 
engaged  her  in  conversation  about  her  soul. 
"  Had  I  been  there,"  said  her  spouse,  "  I  would 
have  told  him  to  go  about  his  own  business." 
"  But,  husband,"  said  she,  "  if  you  had  been  there 
you  would  have  thought  that  he  was  about  Ms 
own  business y 

"  He  that  winneth  souls  is  wise,"  but  the  wis- 
dom is  not  learned  in  human  schools.  Experience 
of  God's  grace,  a  rich  schooHng  in  God's  uni- 
versity, is  the  only  adequate  qualification :  this 
power  to  witness  is  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
indwelling,  and  inworking,  and  then  outworking 
though  the  lips  and  the  tongue,  and  the  grander 
utterance  of  the  life.  When  God  dwells  in  us  and 
gives  us  a  true,  deep  knowledge  of  Himself,  He 
lays  the  foundation  for  power  in  testimony.  It  is 
the  baptism  of  the  Spirit  that  made  such  a  mighty 
witness  even  of  Peter,  turning  cowardice  into 
courage,  and  the  traitor  into  the  leader,  so  that 
he,  who  once  could  not  face  an  accusing  maid, 


THE  FORCE  OF  MISSIONS.  219 

Stood  and  faced  the  great  Jewish  Council,  daringly- 
defying  the  august  Sanhedrin  !  If  we  are  to  have 
new  power  in  missions,  we  must  have  a  higher 
standard  of  living.  The  believer  who  is  trans- 
formed into  the  likeness  of  Christ  is  himself  the 
apologetic  for  Christianity ;  for  in  him  even  the 
unbelieving,  gainsaying  world  must  see  'and  read 
the  ''  many  infallible  proofs  "  of  a  God,  a  Christ, 
a  Holy  Spirit,  a  regenerate  character. 

And  therefore  do  we  steadfastly  maintain  that 
no  great  power  can  attend  Christian  missions, 
while  in  the  Church  Christian  life  sinks  to  a  low 
level.  Such  a  Hfe  can  beget  no  life  of  a  higher  sort, 
and  our  missionaries  will,  in  their  work,  represent 
our  uncertain  convictions  and  our  divided  affec- 
tions, and  their  unbelief  and  worldliness  will  make 
God's  many  mighty  works  impossible  on  the  foreign 
field. 

It  was  October  7,  1805,  thirteen  years  almost  to 
a  day  from  the  day  when  that  mission  compact 
was  signed  at  Kettering,  that  Carey,  Marshman, 
and  Ward,  at  Serampore,  drew  up  their  famous 
spiritual  "  Covenant."  It  covered  twelve  printed 
pages  octavo,  and  was  read  publicly  at  every 
station  at  least  once  a  year. 

If  any  one  would  see  what  sort  of  men  God 
chose  to  lead  the  van  of  His  modem  missionary 
post,  let  him  study  that  ''  Form  of  agreement 
respecting  the  great  principles  upon  which  the 
brethren  of  the  mission  thought  it  their  duty  to 


2  20  THE   DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

act  in  the  work  of  instructing  the  heathen."  Dr. 
George  Smith  calls  it  a  Preparatio  Evangelka, 
and  well  adds  that  it  ''  embodies  the  divine  prin- 
ciples of  all  Protestant  scriptural  missions,  and  is 
still  a  manual  to  be  daily  pondered  by  every  mis- 
sionary, and  every  church  and  society  which  may 
send  a  missionary  forth."  * 

We  give  here  its  most  important  parts,  for  per- 
sonal reflection : 

''IT  IS  ABSOLUTELY  NECESSARY: 

1.  "That  we  set  an  infinite  value  upon  immortal 

souls. 

2.  "  That  we  gain  all  information  of  the  snares  and 

delusions  in  which  these  heathen  are  held. 

3.  "  That  we  abstain  front  all  those  things  which 

would   increase  their  prejudices  against  the 
Gospel. 

4.  "  That  wc  watch  all  opportunities  for  doing  good. 

5.  "  That  we  keep  to  the  example  of  Paul,  and 

make   the  great   subject   of   our  preaching, 
Christ  the  Crucified. 

6.  "  That  the  natives  should  have  an  entire  confi- 

dence in  us  and  feel  quite  at  home   in  our 
company. 

7.  ''That  we  build  up  and  watch  over  the  souls 

that  may  be  gathered. 

8.  "That  we  form  our  native  brethren  to  useful- 

ness^   fostering    every   kind    of    genius  and 
cherishing   every    gift    and   grace   in   them, 

*  Short  History  of  Missions,  p.  165. 


THE  FORCE  OF  MISSIONS.  22 1 

especially  advising  the  native  churches  to 
choose  their  own  pastors  and  deacons  from 
amongst  their  own  countrymen. 

9.  "  That  we  labor  with  all  our  might  in  forward- 

ing tni7islations  of  the  Sacred  Scnptiwes  in  the 
languages  of  India. 

10.  "That  we  establish  native  free-schools  and 
recommend  these  estabhshments  to  other 
Europeans. 

11.  "  That  we  be  cofistafit  171  prayer  and  the  culti- 
vation of  personal  religion^  to  fit  us  for  the 
discharge  of  these  laborious  and  unutterably 
important  labors.  Let  us  often  look  at 
Brainerd  in  the  woods  of  America,  pouring 
out  his  very  soul  before  God  for  the  perishing 
heathen,  without  whose  salvation  nothing 
could  make  him  happy. 

12.  "That  vft  give  ourselves  unreservedly  to  this 

glorious  cause.  Let  us  never  think  that  our 
time,  our  gifts,  our  strength,  our  families,  or 
even  the  clothes  we  wear,  are  our  own.  Let 
us  sanctify  them  all  to  God  and  His  cause. 
O,  that  He  may  sanctify  us  for  His  work ! 
No  private  family  ever  enjoyed  a  greater 
portion  of  happiness  than  we  have  done  since 
we  resolved  to  have  all  things  in  common. 
If  we  are  enabled  to  persevere,  we  may  hope 
that  multitudes  of  converted  souls  will  have 
reason  to  bless  God  to  all  eternity  for  sending 
His  Gospel  into  this  country." 


222  THE   DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

In  this  solemn  compact,  which  sounds  hke  an 
apostohc  document,  twelve  cardinal  principles  are 
carefully  set  forth. 

1.  Valuing  human  souls  at  an  infinite  worth. 

2.  Informing  themselves  as  to  their  actual  needs. 

3.  Avoiding  all  putting  of  stumbling  blocks  in 
their  way. 

4.  Watching  opportunity  to  do  good  unto  all. 

5.  Preaching  Christ  Crucified  as  their  one 
theme. 

6.  Inspiring  confidence  by  a  Christlike  life. 

7.  Establishing  schools  for  Christian  education. 

8.  Watching  over  and  training  native  converts. 

9.  Raising  up  a  native  ministry  for  service. 

10.  Translating  the  Holy  Scriptures  into  the 
vernacular. 

1 1 .  Cultivating  prayer  and  self-culture  in  piety. 

12.  SmTendering  self  unreservedly  to  God  and 
service. 

To  this  nothing^remains  to  be  added  to  give 
completeness  and  symmetry.  It  reads  like  an 
inspired  paper.  The  marks  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
are  upon  it.  And  we  commend  it  to  all  friends  of 
missions,  and  especially  to  all  who  have  in  view 
or  in  thought  the  field  of  missions.  It  need  be  no 
matter  of  wonder  that,  although  the  first  Hindu 
convert,  Krishna  Chundra  Pal,  was  not  baptized 
as  a  Protestant  believer  until  1800,  fifty  years 
after  Carey's  death,  the  native  Protestant  com- 
munity, in  1884,  numbered  half  a  miUion,  with 


THE   FORCE    OF  MISSIONS.  223 

ordained  native  pastors  outnumbering  the  mission- 
aries, and  every  decade  witnessing  an  increase  at 
the  rate  of  eighty-six  per  cent. ! 

Let  this  covenant  be  to  the  Church  of  Christ, 
as  we  start  on  a  new  century  of  missions,  a  trumpet 
peal  of  God  for  a  new  advance.  A  higher  type 
of  piety  is  the  great  demand  of  oiu-  day.  Spiritual 
power  depends  upon  spiritual  life.  Never  will  the 
Holy  Spirit  set  a  premium  upon  low  spiritual  at- 
tainment by  resting,  in  Shekinah  glory,  upon  a 
Church  in  whose  courts  are  the  idols  of  this  world. 
While  the  Word  of  God  is  neglected,  prayer  de- 
generates into  a  form,  and  worship  into  ritual ; 
while  the  line  of  separation  is  obhterated  between 
the  Church  and  the  world,  and  the  whole  life  of 
the  Church  is  on  the  lowest  level,  we  shall  look  in 
vain  for  the  anointing  from  above. 

How  preaching  and  witnessing  may  be  made 
more  attractive  and  effective  is  a  question  whose 
vital  importance  transcends  almost  any  other.  The 
great  need  of  the  modern  pulpit  is  spiritual  power. 
With  all  the  learning  and  culture  of  the  ministry, 
a  nameless  deficiency  exists ;  and  the  lack,  to 
whatever  traceable,  is  a  lack  of  power.  Even 
where  preaching  attracts,  how  seldom  it  effects 
that  great  end,  the  salvation  of  souls  !  Why  is  it 
that  even  those  sermons  which  gratify,  do  not 
satisfy,  and  many  preachers  who  draw  the  crowd 
do  not  win  men  to  Christ?  There  seem  to  be 
scholarship,  intellectuality,  and  sometimes  spirit- 


2  24  THE   DIVINE   ENTERPRISE. 

uality,  and  yet  but  little  of  that  seal  and  sanction 
which  the  Spirit  sets  on  the  most  successful  preach- 
ing by  using  it  to  convict  and  convert. 

The  lack  of  power  may  exist  where  there  is  no 
lack  of  truth.  Without  God's  truth  there  will  not 
be  God's  power;  but  there  is  not  always  power 
even  where  there  is  truth,  for  these  two  are  not 
synonymous  in  this  wicked  world — would  they 
were  !  We  have  carelessly  adopted  that  pagan 
maxim  :  "  Magna  est  Veritas  et prcBvalebit^'  though 
all  human  history  shows  its  fallacy  and  falsity. 
Men  have  always  known  more  truth  than  they 
\\2iNQ  practised.  God  Himself  preached  the  truth 
in  Eden,  yet  even  there  Satan's  lie  proved  mightier. 
Noah  preached  truth  for  a  century  in  the  antedi- 
luvian world,  and  made  not  a  convert.  Greece 
and  Rome  and  France  knew  truth  enough  to  have 
saved  them,  but  these,  the  most  refined  and  martial 
and  cultured  of  nations,  have  crowned  falsehood 
and  vice  with  the  diadems  of  truth  and  virtue. 

Truth,  spoken  in  a  sinful  world,  finds  wrong 
and  error  mighty  enough  to  keep  the  mastery : 
the  Gospel  itself,  the  very  truth  of  God,  needs 
something  added  to  make  it  the  power  of  God ; 
and,  what  that  is,  the  promise  of  the  Father,  ful- 
filled in  part  at  Pentecost,  reveals.  We  are  now 
studying  the  science  of  spiritual  dynamics,  and 
may  learn  what  makes  om'  witness  a  dynamic 
force :  "  Ye  shall  receive  the  power  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  coming  upon  you."     Unction,  as  it  13  called 


THE  FORCE   OF  MISSIONS.  225 

by  John,  the  Chrism  {Kpiajjia),  is  that  anointing 
for  service  which  helps  men  to  reach,  touch,  move, 
and  mould  the  mind,  heart,  will,  of  the  hearer. 
Our  mistake  is  fatal  if  we  conceive  of  power  in 
missions  as  human.  Even  the  most  convincing 
argument,  the  most  captivating  rhetoric,  the  most 
exalted  eloquence,  do  not  imply  this  power. 
Unction  has  a  logic,  rhetoric,  eloquence  of  its 
own. 

The  power  to  move  men  Godward  is  a  power, 
purely  of  God,  and  must  be  carefully  distinguished 
from  all  channels  through  which  it  flows,  or  means 
by  which  it  works,  as  the  lightning  is  distinct  from, 
the  cloud  it  charges,  or  the  wind  from  the  wave 
it  heaves  and  rolls.  This  enduement  of  power 
defies  all  analysis.  The  secret  seems  to  lie  now 
in  the  glow  of  ardor  and  fervor,  and  then  in  tears 
of  tenderness ;  now  in  the  logic  of  reason  on  fire  with 
conviction,  and  then  in  the  logic  of  love  warning 
and  inviting.  So  also  does  it  defy  description,  like 
savor,  flavor,  fragrance.  But  one  may  be  pro- 
foundly sensible  of  its  presence  or  absence.  A 
sermon  may  be  full  of  learning,  empty  of  life — the 
mummy  of  the  Gospel,  the  form  without  the  soul 
— dead  orthodoxy,  wrapt  in  the  cerements  of  the 
grave  and  having  the  odor  of  decay. 

But,  while  we  may  not  describe,  define,  analyze 
Unction,  we  may  know  its  evidences  and  effects. 
First,  when  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost  comes 
upon  us  our  eyes  are  anointed  as  with  eye-salve, 


226  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

and  we  see.  We  have  a  new  apprehension  of 
divine  truth.  Light  takes  color  from  the  media 
through  which  it  passes.  Oiu:  minds  and  hearts 
and  tempers  and  temperament  give  color  to  our 
notions  of  God.  A  tyrannical  temper  makes  His 
will  seem  arbitrary  and  unreasonable  ;  a  vindictive 
spirit  gives  His  wrath  a  Im^id  glare  ;  a  morbid  heart 
makes  even  His  promises  seem  gloomy,  and  a 
forceless,  nerveless  amiability  makes  even  His 
mercy  seem  lax  and  His  love  insipid. 

No  man  is  fit  to  teach  God's  truth  until  he  is 
taught  of  God,  and,  to  be  taught,  he  must  come 
into  vital  contact  and  sympathy  with  God.  And 
so  the  power  to  witness  implies  a  power  to  think 
rightly  of  God.  Then  we  vividly  see  the  real  lost 
state  of  souls,  and  their  awful  need,  and  the  won- 
ders of  grace  and  the  possibility  of  salvation. 
This  sense  of  reality  of  divine  things  no  man  has 
until  the  Spirit  of  God  unveils  his  eyes  and  anoints 
them  with  His  own  eye-salve. 

Then  we  need  power  to  present  what  is  thus 
conceived.  The  modes  of  the  preacher  have  as 
much  to  do  with  the  effectiveness  of  his  message 
as  have  the  moods  of  the  hearer.  If  he  is  clothed 
with  power  from  on  high,  whether  he  thunders  forth 
the  peal  of  the  law  or  with  still  small  voice  whis- 
pers the  grace  of  God,  Sinai  and  Calvary  will  be 
alike  subduing. 

God's  preachers  and  witnesses  are  the  interpreters 
of  His  truth,    Like  a  musician,  who  gets  beyond  the 


THE  FORCE   OF  MISSIONS.  227 

mechanical  performance  or  the  originating  genius, 
and  enters  into  the  secret  life  of  the  composer, 
the  preacher  must  interpret  to  the  hearer  God's 
idea  or  thought.  Many  a  humble  man,  who  has 
no  fluency  of  speech,  or  grace  of  gesture,  no  power 
to  flash  auroras  or  rain  meteors,  has  power  to 
make  God's  truth  clear  and  cogent,  and  move 
minds  far  superior  to  his  own  in  culture  and  power. 
This  we  must  understand  and  feel  as  we  never 
have  felt  it.  As  Dr.  T.  H.  Skinner  used  to  say, 
God  may  give  to  a  church  and  its  pastor  every 
type  of  piety  but  that  which  is  found  in  a  setise  of 
the  powers  of  the  tv  or  Id  to  come^  and  men  will  remain 
unconverted,  but  he  who  is  to  save  souls  must 
have  this  sense.  This  gives  logic  both  of  argu- 
ment and  feeling — this  makes  words  now  like 
drawn  swords,  keen  at  the  edge  and  keener  at  the 
point ;  now  like  a  hammer,  that  breaks  even  the 
rock ;  and  now  hke  fire,  that  burns  and  melts. 
The  hearer  feels  a  spiritual  force  grapphng  with 
his  convictions,  conscience,  will ;  and,  if  he  is  not 
compelled  to  yield  to  Christ,  he  is  at  least  com- 
pelled to  consider  and  make  a  decision. 

This  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost  is  probably  the 
one  gift  and  grace  that  cannot  be  feigiied.  An 
unconverted  man  may  build  a  symmetrical  dis- 
course, faultless  both  in  matter  and  style  ;  a  hypo- 
crite may  assume,  hke  an  actor,  what  he  neither 
feels  nor  beHeves ;  but  to  wield  the  sword  of  the 
Spirit  so  as  to  pierce  to  joints  and  marrow, — that 


2  28  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

requires  Holy  Ghost  power,  holding,  nerving,  guid- 
ing the  arm. 

This  promised  "  anointing  "  gives  quality  to  the 
witness-bearer  as  well  as  to  his  message.  The  an- 
cients thought  purest  virtue  aromatic  to  the  sense, 
and  it  is  true  that  this  divine  chrism  makes  the 
whole  man  fragrant,  investing  even  his  person  and 
presence  with  a  nameless  charm,  so  that,  hke  Lord 
Chatham,  "there  is  something  in  the  man  finer 
than  he  ever  said."  The  anointed  witness  is  like 
Aaron ;  even  to  the  fringes  of  his  garments  the 
holy  oil  runs  down,  and  all  his  robes  smell  of  the 
myrrh  and  aloes  and  cassia  out  of  the  ivory  pal- 
aces of  the  Heavenly  King.  He  becomes  like 
some  instrument,  long  played  upon  by  some  master 
musician,  whose  very  fibre  loses  its  harshness  and 
coarseness  and  takes  on  a  new  quality. 

This  power  clothed  Peter  at  Pentecost,  made 
Stephen  irresistible  even  before  his  stoners,  and 
made  Wesley  and  Whitefield  the  mightiest  preach- 
ers of  the  last  century ;  this  power  made  Edwards 
at  Enfield,  and  Nettleton,  in  the  simplest  repetition 
of  a  text,  mighty  to  move  and  sway  a  whole  audi- 
ence. 

Be  assured,  the  greatest  lack  of  missions,  both 
at  home  and  abroad,  is  the  want  of  this  anointing. 
Tany  before  God  till  you  get  it.  No  waiting  for 
this  is  wasting  time.  Better  one  day,  with  power 
from  on  high,  than  a  hundred  or  a  thousand  in  its 
absence.     God  would  not  have  us  neglect  the  nat- 


THE  FORCE   OF  MISSIONS.  229 

ural  basis  of  studious  and  systematic  preparation, 
for  grace  sets  no  premium  on  sloth,  and  a  mind 
and  heart  fitted  by  devout  study  of  the  Word  of 
God  is  most  likely  to  be  endued. 

Nor  would  God  have  us  neglect  the  spiritual 
basis,  in  general  purity  and  piety  of  character. 
The  anointing  implies  previous  cleansing,  as  the 
Levites  were  washed  with  water  before  they  were 
anointed  with  oil.  But,  beside  and  beyond  this, 
God  would  have  us  feel  our  deep  need  of  the 
promise  of  the  Father.  May  the  Spirit  of  God 
be  to  us  all  a  Socrates,  to  bring  us  from  ignorance 
and  impotence  unconscious  to  ignorance  and  im- 
potence conscious.  Then  let  oiu"  need  drive 
us  to  God.  Let  the  securing  of  this  unction  be 
our  supreme  aim  and  absorbing  prayer.  Putting 
away  the  ambition  to  originate  brilliant  and  start- 
hng  thoughts,  or  weave  the  golden  and  silver 
tissues  of  ornate  speech — we  must  get  so  near  to 
the  heart  of  God  that  we  shall  care  more  for  the 
groan  of  one  wounded  soul  than  for  the  shouts  of 
thousands  that  praise  the  beauty  of  the  bow  or  the 
grace  of  the  archer.  "  Tarry  until  you  are  en- 
dued with  power  from  on  high."  What  is  needed 
is  a  heart  that  can  hurl  hot  shot  at  the  citadels  of 
Satan  ;  not  the  iron  tongue  of  passionate  denuncia- 
tion, or  the  silver  tongue  of  flashing  rhetoric,  or 
the  golden  tongue  of  persuasive  oratory,  but  the 
tongue  of  fire  set  aflame  by  a  coal  from  heavenly 
altars. 


230  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

Here — reverently  let  it  be  recorded — here  lies 
the  basis  and  bottom  of  all  power  in  subduing  this 
world  for  Christ.  After  the  whole  armor  of  God 
is  endued,  there  must  still  be  vigor  and  vitality  to 
wear  it  and  wield  it.  Our  weapons  are  mighty 
only  when  we  ourselves  are  first  strong  in  the 
Lord  and  in  the  power  of  His  might.  The  pan- 
ophed  soldier  needs  still  the  nameless  charm  and 
investment  of  a  divine  baptism  and  chrism. 

This,  then,  is  the  complex  yet  simple  power  of 
missions — Christ  on  the  throne  ruling  the  Church, 
restraining  the  powers  of  darkness,  and  extending 
His  shield  over  His  own ;  Christ  on  the  battle- 
field riding  His  white  horse  and  leading  His 
Church  to  conflict  and  conquest ;  marshalling  His 
heavenly  host  and  the  great  armies  of  an  obedient 
creation  to  bring  His  plans  to  consummation ; 
then  the  Holy  Spirit,  enduing  His  witnesses  and 
making  them  the  power  of  God  to  win  souls. 
When  our  ministers  and  missionaries  recognize  and 
reahze  this  need,  cherish  this  aim,  and  breathe 
this  prayer  on  every  field  of  missions,  a  new  force 
will  be  felt  and  a  new  power  manifested.  Then 
we  shall  see  results  on  the  whole  field.  Doors  will 
open,  until  not  a  hermit  nation  remains  or  one 
shut  gate  confronts  us. 

Gigantic  barriers  will  be  removed  and  walls  of 
adamant  will  crumble.  Converts  will  be  multi- 
phed  till  they  spring  up  like  grass  along  water- 
courses.    Congregations  will  gather,  churches  will 


THE   FORCE    OF  MISSIONS.  23  r 

be  organized,  schools  will  be  established — every- 
where, even  in  the  deserts,  streams  will  burst  forth 
and  flow  God-ward,  turning  the  wilderness  into 
Eden  ;  native  evangelists  will  press  into  the  regions 
beyond,  opposition  will  only  make  disciples  strong, 
and  martyr  fires  only  kindle  flames  of  love  to 
God  and  man.  Before  a  Church  that  enthrones 
Christ  in  the  heart  and  follows  Him  everywhere, 
before  a  Church  baptized  with  the  fire  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  nothing  can  stand.  Francis  Xavier  stood 
before  China  and  saw  its  vastness  loom  up  hke  a 
mountain  that  shut  out  the  very  sky,  and  he  cried, 
"  O  rock,  rock,  when  wilt  thou  open  to  my  Mas- 
ter ? "  And  that  rock  still  stands,  the  Gibraltar 
of  heathenism.  God  waits  to  be  asked,  and  wills 
to  give  us  all  this  power  simply  for  the  asking.  A 
dying  world  is  about  us — nay,  a  dead  world — but 
the  Word  of  Life  is  in  our  hands.  O  for  the  Spirit 
of  Life !  Let  Him  endue  us,  and  our  speech  is 
no  more  with  enticing  words  of  man's  wisdom,  but 
with  demonstration  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  In  the 
Valley  of  Indecision  the  wind  of  Heaven  breathes, 
signs  of  life  appear — the  dry  bones  move — bone 
cleaves  to  bone :  the  skeleton  of  creed  is  clad 
with  the  flesh  of  faith,  and,  where  the  slain  of  Satan 
lay,  the  hosts  of  God  encamp.  For  such  power 
from  on  high  let  us  so  earnestly  seek,  that  every 
breath  of  spiritual  life  shall  become  a  prayer ! 


VI. 

THE   DIVINE   FRUIT   OF   MISSIONS. 

HE  fruit  of  missions  constitutes  a  seal 
from  God  upon  the  work  and  the  work- 
men. 

When  Mark  brings  his  Gospel  narrative  to  a 
conclusion,  he  significantly  says,  "  And  they  went 
forth  and  preached  everywhere,  the  Lord  working 
with  (them)  and  confirming  the  word  with  signs 
following."  The  Lord  co-operated  with  His 
appointed  and  anointed  workmen,  and  confirmed 
their  work  and  His  own  word  by  appropriate  signs. 
In  the  book  of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  at  least 
one  representative  instance  is  given  of  the  various 
signs  promised.  Take  Paul's  experience  alone. 
At  Philippi,  he  cast  out  the  demon  from  the 
divining  damsel ;  at  Ephesus,  he  laid  his  hands  on 
disciples  and  they  spake  with  new  tongues;  at 
Melita,  he  shook  off  the  deadly  viper  that  fastened 
on  his  hand  and  felt  no  harm ;  and  at  Ephesus 
likewise  special  miracles  were  wrought  by  his  hands, 
so  that  from  his  body  were  brought  unto  the  sick 
handkerchiefs  or  aprons,*  etc. 

*  Acts  xix.  II,  12. 


THE  FRUIT   OF  MISSIONS.  233 

There  are  those  who  affirm  that,  at  no  time  in 
subsequent  Christian  history,  have  supernatural 
signs  ever  been  absolutely  lacking,  as  evidences  of 
the  presence  and  power  of  Him  who  promised, 
saying,  "  Lo,  I  am  with  you  alway."  It  is  quite 
noticeable  that,  while  this  promise  of  the  Lord's 
presence  extends  "  to  the  end  of  the  age,"  no  such 
language  is  used  about  the  signs;  the  difference  in 
terms  is  very  remarkable :  ''  And  these  signs  shall 
follow  them  that  believe."  Here  it  is  not  said 
that  those  particular  signs  shall  continue  to  be 
WTOught,  alway,  even  to  the  end  of  the  age ;  but 
only  that  they  ''shall  follow,"  as  they  did,  for  an 
indefinite  time.  Had  our  Lord  meant  to  assure 
us  that  such  signs  should  be  as  perpetual  as  His 
presence,  it  was  easy  for  Him  to  add  one  word, 
"  alway,"  to  make  that  plain.  But  He  did  not, 
and  we  infer  that  there  was  and  is  a  deep  reason. 
He  foresaw  that,  while  some  signs  would  always 
follow  faithful  preaching  and  true  believing,  these 
were  not  to  be  perpetually  \vrought ;  and  that, 
while  so?ne  signs  would  always  be  needful  to  ac- 
credit the  work  as  His  own,  these  particular  signs 
might  not  always  be  necessary,  or  even  expedient. 
As  a  structure  rises  from  base  to  cap-stone,  we 
find  it  best  to  change  the  form,  face,  and  even 
nature,  of  the  material.  The  huge  unhewn  blocks 
which  are  laid  as  the  foundation  would  be  awk- 
ward, ungraceful,  and  unduly  massive,  in  the  super- 
structure ;  and  so  stones  of  lighter  weight,  chiselled 


234  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

into  beauty  and  polished  into  lustre,  wrought  often 
into  dehcate  forms,  slender  columnar  shapes  with 
capitals  of  exquisite  tracery,  airy  arches  and  lance- 
like pinnacles,  rise  toward  heaven.  There  is  not 
more  difference  between  the  rough,  bulky  bulb  of 
a  hyacinth  and  the  tender,  slender  petals,  than  be- 
tween the  rude  and  massive  basal  stones  and  the 
white  blossoms  which  burst  into  stony  flowers 
above  them.  But  all  are  equally  parts  of  one 
building.  And  so  the  primitive  signs,  wrought  in 
the  apostohc  age,  had  their  special  design  and 
served  their  special  purpose.  They  laid  the  base 
of  apostoHc  work  and  testimony ;  but,  when  foun- 
dations were  thus  laid,  it  was  perhaps  better  that, 
as  the  structure  rose  upon  this  base,  the  supernat- 
ural character  of  the  work  should  be  attested  in 
different  ways,  and  the  form  of  such  attestation 
change  with  the  demand  of  each  new  age  ;  so  that, 
while  supernatural  signs  should  never  cease,  they 
should  acquire  new  force  from  their  very  variety. 
And,  with  Professor  ChristHeb,  we  firmly  hold 
that,  in  the  history  of  modern  missions  particularly, 
we  find  numerous  occurrences  which  unmistakably 
remind  us  of  the  apostoHc  age ;  *  and,  he  adds, 
"  We  cannot,  therefore,  fully  admit  the  proposition 
that  no  more  miracles  are  performed  in  our  day." 
In  fact,  it  is  not  rash  to  assert  that  there  are 
still,  in  this  remote  day,  supernatural  signs  curi- 
ously corresponding  to  the  miracles  of  the  first 
*  ••  Modern  Doubt  and  Christian  Belief,"  332. 


THE  FRUIT  OF  MISSIONS.  235 

century.*  Perhaps  we  need  not  hesitate  to  call 
them  "  modern  miracles,"  since  a  miracle  is  simply 
a  uwnder  and  a  sign  combined,  i.e.^  something 
transcending  the  power  of  man,  to  which  God  ap- 
peals as  a  sign  of  His  power.  "  The  bhnd  receive 
their  sight,"  when  eyes,  long  blinded  to  sin  and 
hoHnesSj  are  opened  to  see  the  deformity  of  the 
one  and  the  beauty  of  the  other.  "The  lame 
walk,"  when  moral  impotency  and  inability  are 
divinely  displaced  by  power  to  resist  even  the 
most  mighty  temptations  and  to  break  the  bonds 
of  the  most  enslaving  vices.  ''The  lepers  are 
cleansed,"  whenever  the  very  blood  becom.es  rid 
of  the  vile  virus  of  lust,  and  the  unclean  beast  be- 
comes virtuous,  humane,  holy.  ''  The  deaf  hear," 
when  ears,  hopelessly  insensible  alike  to  the  warn- 
ings of  justice  and  the  invitations  of  mercy,  and 
which  even  the  thunders  of  Sinai  could  not  pierce, 
now  catch  the  whispers  from  Calvary  and  the  still 
small  voice  of  that  Spirit  that  comes  not  in  earth- 
quake, storm,  or  roaring  conflagration.  "The 
dead  are  raised  up,"  when  those  who  have  been 
destitute  of  all  the  energy,  the  sensibiHty,  the 
vitality,  and  the  activity  of  spiritual  life,  waken 
like  Lazarus  to  cast  off  the  death-damps  and 
grave-clothes,  and  walk  with  God  and  work  for 
God,  and  war  against  sin  and  Satan ;  when  that 
upper  story  of  oiu-  triple  being,  the  true  observa- 
tory of  the  spii-it,  which  sin  turned  into  a  death- 

*  "  Modern  Miracles,"  by  Lelia  Thomson. 


236  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

chamber,  again  becomes  the  shrine  and  throne  of 
the  Holy  Ghost.  It  is  by  no  means  certain  that 
these  moral  miracles  are  not  in  their  way  more 
convincing  signs  of  divine  power  than  any  others 
wrought  in  a  lower  sphere. 

That  great  Messianic  prophecy  and  poem,  in 
Isaiah,*  more  than  hints  that  earher  signs  may  give 
way  to  later  ones,  not  less  convincing  and  conclu- 
sive in  their  way.  "  Instead  of  the  thorn  shall 
come  up  the  fir-tree ;  and,  instead  of  the  brier, 
shall  come  up  the  myrtle-tree ;  and  it  shall  be  to 
the  Lord  for  a  name,  for  an  everlasting  sign  that 
shall  not  be  cut  off." 

The  exact  language  here  used  must  not  escape 
us.  In  Genesis  iii.  17,  18,  we  read:  "And  unto 
Adam  he  said.  Because  thou  hast  ....  eaten  of 
the  tree  of  which  I  commanded  thee,  saying  thou 
shalt  not  eat  of  it ;  cursed  is  the  ground  for  thy 
sake ;  in  sorrow  shalt  thou  eat  of  it  all  the  days  of 
thy  life.  Thorns  also  and  thistles  shall  it  bring 
forth  unto  thee."  A  tree  was  the  occasion  of 
sin,  and  so  the  very  soil  which  bore  the  tree  was 
cursed,  and  thorns  and  thistles  borne  by  the  ground 
became  signs  of  curse. 

When  Jesus,  the  second  Adam,  bore  up  to  the 
cross  the  sin  that  cursed  the  first  Adam  and  the 
Adamic  race,  He  bore  on  His  royal  head  a  "  croivfi 
of  thorns:'  Little  did  those  soldiers  know  that  in 
their  mockery  they  were  unconsciously  prophesy- 

*  Isaiah  Iv.  13. 


THE  FRUIT  OF  MISSIONS.  237 

ing ;  for  He  who  lifted  up  the  thorns  on  His  own 
bleeding  brow  was  to  remove  the  curse  even  from 
the  ground.  The  whole  creation  has  a  redemp- 
tion, and  in  His  crucifixion  that  redemption  was 
signified  and  symboHzed.  As  a  tree  brought  the 
curse,  so  a  tree  bore  the  curse  away.  He  who 
hung  on  the  cursed  tree  has  transformed  the  tree 
of  the  knowledge  of  good  and  evil  into  a  tree  of 
life,  and  He  wore  as  His  crown  the  thorns  that  were 
the  signs  of  curse.  And  now  hear  the  prophetic 
promise  of  what  is  to  be  the  ultimate  result : 
"  God's  word  that  goeth  forth  out  of  His  mouth  " 
shall  be  like  "  the  rain  that  cometh  down  and  the 
snow  from  heaven,"  pure,  celestial  condensations 
and  distillations,  and  it  shall  not  return  to  Him 
void,  but  shall  accomplish  His  gracious  pleasure, 
and  shall  prosper  in  its  holy  mission.  Under  the 
distillations  of  that  life-giving  Gospel,  the  earth, 
which  caused  to  bud  *  thorns  and  briers,  shall  cause 
to  bud  a  harvest  of  heavenly  fruits  which  give 
''  seed  to  the  sower  and  bread  to  the  eater."  And 
the  sign  of  this  accomplished  redemption  shall  be 
that,  "instead  of  the  thorn  shall  come  up  the  fir- 
tree,  and  instead  of  the  brier  shall  come  up  the 
myrtle-tree." 

Can  any  figurative  expression  be  plainer  ?  In- 
stead of  the  vile,  accursed,  vexatious,  and  vicious 
products  of  the  soil,  shall  be  trees  and  plants,  the 
most  beautiful,  useful,  fragrant,  and  fruitful.     And 

*  Gen.  iii.  18,  Margin. 


238  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

this  shall  prove  a  divine  husbandry.  All  the  toil 
and  skill  of  man  has  not  been  able,  in  six  thousand 
years,  to  expel  thorns  and  thistles.  They  are 
found  everywhere,  they  spring  up  spontaneously, 
grow  with  great  energy,  hold  with  great  tenacity, 
and  multiply  with  inconceivable  rapidity,  so  that 
one  variety  of  thistle  might  from  the  fifth  succes- 
sive harvest  of  a  single  seed,  supply  seeds  sufficient 
to  plant  every  square  foot  of  soil  in  the  solar  sys- 
tem, from  Mercury  to  Neptune !  But  let  the 
Divine  Husbandman  come,  and  with  incredible 
swiftness  the  whole  moral  aspect  of  human  nature 
is  changed.  In  the  soil  of  society,  the  vile  and 
vicious  and  virulent  growths  of  sin,  that  no  effort 
of  man  has  been  able  to  extirpate,  are  surely 
eradicated.  Forms  of  evil,  of  crime,  of  rebellion 
against  God  and  revolt  against  humanity,  that 
generations  have  vainly  sought  to  destroy,  or  even 
reduce,  disappear ;  and,  in  their  place,  are  found 
beautiful  characters,  with  charms  that  never  fade 
or  fall,  as  does  the  fohage  of  deciduous  trees,  sym- 
metrical lives,  fruitful  and  fragrant,  like  the  bowers 
of  paradise.  "  Thy  people  also  shall  be  all  right- 
eous ;  "  and  it  is  surely  no  marvel  if  in  such  a 
transfoi'mation  God  says  men  shall  see  God's  hus- 
bandry— ''that  they  might  be  called  Trees  of 
Righteousness,  the  planting  of  the  Lord  that  He 
might  be  glorified."  * 

And  now  let  us  note  that,  of  such  results  of  the 

*  Isaiah  Ix.  21,  Ixi.  3. 


THE  FRUIT  OF  MISSIONS.  239 

going  forth  of  His  word  out  of  His  mouth,  God 
says,  "And  it  shall  be  to  the  Lord  for  a  name," 
i.e.^  a  reputation  or  fame — establishing  His  glory 
— "  for  an  everlasting  sign  that  shall  not  be  cut 
offr  This  is  the  only  sign  that  is  called  everlast- 
ing, and  "  that  shall  not  be  cut  off."  Reverently, 
let  us  add,  this  is  perhaps  the  only  sign  that  is  in 
its  nature  fitted  to  be  everlasting.  The  progress 
of  human  discovery  and  invention  has  gone  far 
toward  ameliorating,  relieving,  and  removing  the 
ills  to  which  the  body  is  heir.  Modem  medicine 
and  surgery  have,  by  methods  ^purely  scientific, 
caused  the  bhnd  to  receive  their  sight,  the  lame 
to  walk,  the  lepers  to  be  cleansed,  the  deaf  to 
hear,  and  even  the  apparently  dead  to  be  raised. 
What  future  medical,  surgical,  and  sanitary  art 
and  science  may  do,  like  Pharaoh's  magicians,  to 
imitate  with  their  enchantments  certain  miracles 
of  God,  we  cannot  say.  But  there  is  one  point 
at  which  all  competition  is  at  an  end,  viz.,  the 
transformatio)i  of  moral  and  spiritual  character. 
The  soul  of  man  and  the  soil  of  society,  even 
under  the  most  careful  culture,  never  lose  sin. 
There  is  a  strange  sinfulness  even  in  our  nature 
that  crops  out  everywhere,  and  at  all  times.  Its 
forms  of  manifestation  change  from  coarser  and 
grosser,  but  are  more  subtle  and  dangerous  even 
under  their  refinement.  Education  has  never  yet 
eliminated  sin  from  man's  nature  or  society.  Here 
is  a  sign  of  divine  power  that  cannot  be  counter- 


240  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

feited  by  science  or  art  or  culture,  or  even  reform. 
Between  moral  reformation  and  spiritual  regenera- 
tion there  is  still  a  great  gulf  fixed,  and  man  can- 
not bridge  it.  The  seven  golden  ages — of  Egypt 
under  the  Ptolemies,  Greece  under  Pericles,  Rome 
under  Augustus,  Italy  under  Leo  the  Great,  France 
under  Louis  the  Magnificent,  Russia  under  Ivan 
IV.,  England  under  Elizabeth, —  were  ages  of 
awful  profligacy,  infidelity,  and  immorality.  God 
has  never  given  to  man  the  key  of  life,  though 
He  may  have  given  him  the  key  of  knowledge. 
Only  He  who  is  the  Alpha  and  Omega  has  the 
keys  of  hell  and  of  death,  and  can  release  the  soul 
held  in  chains  of  hellish  habits  and  deadly  vices. 
And  here  is  God's  "  everlasting  sign  which  shall 
not  be  cut  off." 

Those  who  have  the  widest  acquaintance  with 
the  history  and  progress  of  missions,  are  rather 
oppressed  with  the  sense  of  comparative  ignorance, 
inasmuch  as  so  much  remains  to  be  known,  and 
the  very  vastness  of  the  field  baffles  the  industry 
that  investigates  it.  But  the  further  these  studies 
are  carried  the  deeper  is  the  impression  left  on  the 
mind,  that  the  story  of  missions  is,  as  the  Bishop 
of  Ripon  finely  intimated,  a  continuation  of  the 
Acts  of  the  Apostles:  yes,  of  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles,  with  all  its  essential  supernaturahsm. 
No  exhibition  of  a  Power  unmistakably  divine,  or 
a  Presence  unmistakably  divine,  has  ever  presented 
to  mankind  proofs  more  obvious  than  those  found 


THE  FRUIT  OF  MISSIONS.  241 

in  these  new  chapters  in  this  modern  Book  of  the 
Acts.  The  devout  student  of  missions,  but  most 
of  all  the  devoted  worker  in  missions,  bows  before 
these  evidences  of  a  providential  and  spiritual  in- 
tervention which  to  his  mind  defy  doubt,  not  to 
say  denial. 

These  proofs  need  only  to  be  put  before  the 
candid  and  conscientious  observer,  to  compel 
conviction.  We  read  how,  in  the  days  of  Christ, 
"  the  multitude  wondered  when  they  saw  the  dumb 
to  speak,  the  maimed  to  be  whole,  the  lame  to 
walk,  and  the  bhnd  to  see ;  and  they  glorified  the 
God  of  Israel."  *  Corresponding  marvels  are  to 
be  found  in  the  history  of  missions,  and,  when  the 
doubting  disciple,  or  even  the  sceptical  unbeliever, 
is  confronted  with  them,  wonder  is  excited,  and  if 
there  be  a  readiness  to  be  convinced  by  evidence, 
conviction  becomes  irresistible,  and  God  is  again 
glorified.  Would  that  all  who  profess  to  be  dis- 
ciples would  diligently  read  this  new  Book  of  the 
Acts,  which  is  the  book  of  facts  of  modern  mis- 
sions !  There  may  be  seen  features  correspondent 
to  all  the  most  distinctive  and  distinguishing  marks 
of  the  apostolic  era.  The  same  Pentecostal  out- 
pouring ;  the  same  marvellous  opening  of  doors, 
great  and  effectual ;  the  same  call  of  God  separat- 
ing the  modern  apostles  to  the  work  of  evangeliza- 
tion ;  the  same  grace,  converting  the  Gentiles, 
purifying  their  hearts  by  faith,  and  anointing  con- 
*  Matt.  XV.  31. 


242  THE   DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

verts  for  service;  the  same  transformation  of 
individuals,  and  even  communities,  by  the  power 
of  the  Word  and  the  Spirit ;  the  same  overcoming 
of  obstacles  and  triumph  over  difhculties  ;  the  same 
supernatural  answer  to  believing  prayer.  That 
great  world's  conference  in  London  in  i888 — 
what  was  it  but  another  gathering  of  the  Church 
to  hear  the  missionary  laborers  rehearse  all  that 
God  had  done  with  them  ?  etc. 

What  a  new  epoch  of  missions  will  begin  when 
the  Church  of  God  will  but  read  with  open  eyes 
these  new  chapters  in  the  history  of  grace,  and  see 
how  God  is  yet  present  and  powerfully  working  in 
the  world,  to  honor  the  witnesses  to  His  Gospel ! 

John  Williams'  progress  through  the  South  Seas 
was  a  triumphal  march.  Even  in  the  career  of 
Paul  as,  from  Antioch  to  Athens,  and  from  the 
Golden  Horn  to  the  Pillars  of  Hercules,  he  went 
on  his  great  errand  of  evangelism,  there  are  not 
more  convincing  signs  of  God's  power  than  in 
John  WilHams'  voyages,  from  the  shores  of  Eimeo 
to  the  fatal  coast  of  Eromanga  !  His  missionary 
career  covers  but  twenty-two  years,  from  1817  to 
1839.  Yet,  like  a  flying  messenger  of  Jehovah, 
with  a  flaming  torch,  he  sped  from  island  to  island, 
and  group  to  group,  Aitutaki,  Atiu,  Raratonga, 
Mangaia,  Raiatea,  Samoa,  and  one  unbroken 
series  of  successes  crowned  his  work,  till  not  only 
islands,  but  groups  of  islands,  came  in  rapid  succes- 
sion under  the  sway  of  Christ's  golden  sceptre ; 


THE  FRUIT  OF  MISSIONS.  243 

and  until,  in  1834,  five  years  before  he  fell,  he 
could  calmly  say :  "At  the  present  time,  we  do 
not  know  of  any  group,  or  any  single  island  of 
importance,  within  two  thousand  miles  of  Tahiti, 
in  any  direction,  to  which  the  glad  tidings  of  sal- 
vation have  not  been  conveyed !  "  In  some  cases 
he  saw  the  spears,  which  a  year  before  were  used 
in  desolating  warfare,  serving  as  pulpit  balustrades  ; 
and  the  wooden  images  of  the  great  god  of  war, 
ONO,  and  other  similar  deities,  turned  into  sup- 
ports for  the  roof  of  common  wood-sheds,  and 
other  inferior  buildings  !  The  inhabitants  of  these 
islands  turned  with  unparalleled  rapidity  from  the 
worship  of  idols  and  the  practice  of  cannibahsm, 
burned  their  Maraes,  and  laid  their  false  gods  at 
the  missionaries'  feet  as  trophies  of  Gospel  triumph. 

When  Rev.  Jas.  Calvert  was  asked  to  give  in 
one  sentence  a  proof  of  the  success  of  missions, 
he  said,  "  When  I  first  arrived  at  the  Fiji  group, 
my  first  duty  was  to  bury  the  hands,  feet,  heads, 
and  bones  of  the  arms  and  legs  of  eighty  victims 
whose  bodies  had  been  roasted  and  eaten  in  a 
cannibal  feast.  I  hved  to  see  the  very  cannibals 
who  had  taken  part  in  that  inhuman  festival  gath- 
ered about  the  Lord's  Table." 

The  cannibalism  of  Fiji  was  not  simply  the  re- 
sult of  an  impulse  of  passsionate  hate  or  revenge, 
but  an  institution  inwoven  with  the  very  fabric  of 
social  life,  and  even  religion.  It  was  not  the  re- 
sort of,  hunger,  for  with  plenty  and  variety  of  food, 


244  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

human  bodies  were  regarded  as  a  delicacy  to  be 
prefen-ed.  Rev.  S.  McFarlane,  LL.D.,  has  sug- 
gested that  the  Fijians  regarded  cannibahsm  as 
an  act  of  supreme  revenge  upon  a  fallen  enemy ; 
a  kind  of  vindication  of  the  national  honor,  which 
patriotic  pride  demanded ;  and  to  devour  a  slain 
enemy  might  also  imply  the  transfer  of  his  strength 
and  prowess  to  him  who  ate  him.  But,  more  than 
this,  Dr.  Seemann  suggests  that  cannibal  feasts 
belonged  to  the  ceremonies  of  religion.  The 
ovens  are  never  used  for  any  other  purpose,  and 
whereas  fingers  are  the  only  forks  used  in  eating 
ordinary  food,  for  human  flesh  a  peculiar  fork, 
with  three  or  four  prongs,  made  of  hard  wood, 
and  each  fork  known  by  its  peculiar  name,  is  used. 
These  forks  are  evidently  regarded  as  sacred,  and 
as  profaned  by  the  touch  of  a  foreigner.  Under 
the  great  banyan-tree,  the  sacred  Akautabu,  can- 
nibal feasts  took  place,  and  certain  parts  of  the 
bodies  of  victims  were  hung  on  this  tree.  Here 
the  famous  cannibal  chief,  Thakombau,  kept  his 
abominable  revels.* 

Where  this  practice  of  cannibalism  was  thus 
associated  with  social  custom,  appetite,  revenge, 
patriotism,  and  even  rehgion,  we  might  expect  that 
the  higher  the  rank  the  more  indulgence  there 
would  be  in  this  revolting  practice ;  and  the  fact 
is,  that  many  of  the  chiefs  gloried  in  the  number 
of  human  bodies  they  had  eaten,  and  kept  a  regis- 

*  "Among  the  Cannibals  of  New  Guinea,"  100-102. 


THE  FRUIT  OF  MISSIONS.  245 

ter  by  making  a  line  of  stones,  one  stone  being 
added  for  each  body  eaten.  The  stones  thus 
placed  by  two  chiefs,  Wangka  Levu  and  Ra 
Undre  Undre,  were  counted  by  a  native  teacher, 
and  found  to  number  nearly  nme  hundred ;  and 
as  many  as  fifty  bodies  have  been  cooked  for  a 
single  feast.  What  a  dynamic  power  must  be 
found  in  a  simple  Gospel  message  that  could 
eradicate  customs  so  deeply  rooted  in  the  very 
soil  of  society  ! 

This  story  of  Fiji  it  would  be  difficult  to  surpass, 
either  for  the  depth  of  cruelty,  iniquity,  and  idola- 
try there  confronted  by  the  Gospel,  or  for  the 
rapid,  radical,  and  revolutionary  changes  which 
that  Gospel  wrought.  Human  life  was  held  in 
reckless  disregard.  An  Englishman  named  Jack- 
son was  witness  to  the  sacrifice  to  earth  spirits. 
A  chief  was  building  a  new  hut,  and  deep  holes 
were  dug  to  receive  the  main  posts  on  which  the 
house  was  to  rest.  To  propitiate  the  gods  to  up- 
hold the  dwelling,  men  were  forced  to  stand  in 
these  holes  and  clasp  these  posts  while  the  earth 
was  filled  in  and  buried  them  alive.  At  the  launch- 
ing of  a  war  canoe,  Hving  human  bodies  were  used 
as  rollers,  and  they  were  crushed  to  a  shapeless 
mass  beneath  the  weight.  The  sacrifice  of  human 
hfe  was  wanton,  as  though,  instead  of  crime,  it 
implied  merit. 

In  1835  there  was  not  a  single  disciple.  When, 
fifty  years  later,  in  1885,  ^^^  Jubilee  was  kept,  not 


246  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

an  avowed  heathen  was  left  in  all  the  large  group 
of  eighty  inhabited  islands;  and  the  returns  of 
that  year  show  a  total  of  1,322  churches  and  other 
preaching  places,  3,021  missionaries,  catechists, 
and  teachers,  only  ten  of  whom  were  ivhite  mis- 
sionaries, and,  out  of  a  population  of  110,000, 
104,585  attendants  at  public  worship.  To-day 
not  a  vestige  of  cannibaHsm,  widow-strangling, 
infanticide  and  like  cruelties,  exists,  and  the  Fijian 
Church  sends  native  evangelists  to  other  distant 
shores  to  preach  Christ  in  other  tongues.  Mr. 
Calvert  himself  testifies :  "  We  had  no  night  of 
toil.  God  was  with  us  from,  the  beginning,  and 
all  along,  even  to  the  present  time,  and  he  Has 
ever  confirmed  His  Word  with  signs  following." 

That  same  chief,  Thakombau,  who,  under  the 
sacred  Akautabu,  cut  out  the  tongue  of  a  captive 
chief  who  with  it  was  begging  for  a  speedy  death, 
and  jocosely  ate  it  before  his  face,  afterwards 
built  a  chapel  at  Bau,  and  at  his  own  death-bed 
preached  to  his  attendants  faith  and  salvation. 
Ten  days  after  the  big  death  drums  had  summoned 
the  people  to  a  cannibal  feast,  in  1854,  those  same 
drums  were  by  his  orders  sounded  as  a  signal  for 
the  assembling  of  the  people  for  divine  worship  !  * 
The  last  act  of  Thakombau,  in  October,  1874, 
was  to  cede  Fiji  to  Queen  Victoria,  and,  through 
Sir  John  B.  Thurston,  his  Prime  Minister,  present 
his  war  club  to  her  Majesty,  with  the  significant 

*  Jas.  Calvert,  iii. 


TIIR   FRUIT  OF  MISSIONS.  247 

confession  that,  "  until  of  late  that  war  club  was 
the  only  known  law  of  P'iji."  That  club,  with 
his  yanggona  bowl,  may  be  seen  in  the  British 
Museum. 

How  little  would  Canon  Taylor's  and  Mr. 
Caine's  criticisms  of  missions  affect  minds  that 
were  familiar  with  the  great  facts  of  missionary 
biography  and  history  !  For  example,  when  Cap- 
tain Cook  touched  at  Tahiti,  he  wrote:  "This 
island  can  neither  serve  pubhc  interests  nor  private 
ambition,  and  will  probably  never  be  much 
known,"  About  the  close  of  the  eighteenth  cent- 
ury, William  Carey  and  his  fellows  so  aroused  the 
dormant  missionary  spirit  in  the  churches,  that 
the  London  Missionary  Society  sent  missionaries 
to  this  island.  There  was  a  long  "  night  of  toil." 
Sixteen  years  went  by  without  a  sign  of  blessing. 
One  day  a  missionary,  with  a  group  of  savages 
about  him,  read,  from  a  manuscript  copy  of  the 
Gospel  according  to  John,  the  third  chapter.  As 
he  came  to  the  sixteenth  verse,  which  Luther 
called  "  the  Gospel  in  miniature,"  a  rude  warrior 
in  the  group  asked  him  to  read  that  verse  again 
and  again.  Then  he  said,  "This,  if  it  be  true,  is 
iox you  only,  not  for  such  as  w^."  But  the  mis- 
sionary repeated  that  wonderful  word,  '^Whoso- 
ever^' and  dwelt  upon  its  meaning.  "  Then,"  said 
the  warrior,  "your  God  shall  be  my  God ;  for  we 
have  never  heard  such  a  message  as  this ;  our 
gods  do  not  love  us  so." 


248  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE, 

It  is  not  yet  seventy-five  years  since  that  first 
convert,  who  was  also  the  first-fruits  of  all  Poly- 
nesia, was  brought  from  darkness  to  light ;  yet 
now  in  Polynesia  there  are  about  eight  hundred 
thousand  converts ;  and  the  work  has  spread  till 
it  has  reached  New  Guinea.  A  band  of  not  less 
than  one  hundred  and  sixty  young  men  and  women, 
going  from  Tahiti  and  the  neighboring  islands,  as 
evangehsts,  seek  to  carry  the  hfe-giving  Gospel  to 
other  benighted  tribes;  and,  of  all  these  native 
workers,  not  one  has  ever  proved  recreant  or  faith- 
less. Yet  these  are  the  people  who,  at  the  begin- 
ning of  this  century,  had  lost  all  idea  of  God  save 
that,  somewhere  afar  off,  some  strange  being  dwelt, 
who  exercised  sovereignty  as  a  tyrannical  despot ; 
and  at  the  graves  of  their  ancestors,  they  were 
wont  to  go  and  beseech  them  to  plead  with  this 
unapproachable  Deity ! 

No  more  expressive  and  laconic  tablet  is  to  be 
found  in  the  world  than  that  raised  by  grateful 
native  converts  to  Dr.  John  Geddie  on  Aneityum, 
one  of  the  Loyalty  Islands,  or  New  Hebrides.  It 
bears  in  their  language  the  now  famous  but  unique 
parallelism : 

"WHEN   HE   LANDED   HERE 

IN    1848, 

THERE  WERE  NO   CHRISTIANS  ; 

WHEN    HE   LEFT    HERE 

IN    1872, 

THERE   WERE  NO   HEATHENS." 


THE  FRUIT  OF  MISSIONS.  249 

On  most  of  the  islands  of  Western  Polynesia  a 
similar  tablet  might  be  erected,  a  brief  epitome  of 
the  wonderful  work  of  God  within  less  than  a 
century.  And  in  these  lands,  where  missions  have 
had  their  modern  triumphs,  some  of  the  most 
heroic  converts  and  evangelists  have  been  found. 

Who  has  not  read  the  story  of  Lugalama,  the 
first  martyr  of  Uganda  !  The  cruel  Mwanga  seized 
him  and  Seruwanga  and  Kakumba,  his  compan- 
ions ;  and,  apparently  from  no  other  cause  than 
because  these  lads  had  found  their  way  to  firm 
faith  in  Jesus  while  yet  the  king  was  halting  be- 
tween two  opinions,  he  determined  in  a  rage  to  put 
them  to  death  by  torture.  Mujasi,  the  cruel 
wretch  who  wreaked  upon  these  poor  boys  the  hate 
of  Mwanga,  mocked  them.  "  O,  you  know  Isa 
Masiya  (Jesus  Christ),  do  you  ?  .  .  .  .  Youbeheve 
you  will  rise  from  the  dead,  do  you?  Well,  I 
shall  burn  you  and  see."  The  lads  answered  the 
mockery  by  a  sacred  hymn : 

"  Killa  siku  tunsifer  !" 

("  Daily,  daily,  sing  the  praises,"  etc.) 

A  dismal  swamp,  Maganja,  was  the  chosen 
Golgotha  for  these  young  martyrs.  The  jeering 
crowd  build  a  rude  frame-work  and  heap  fuel 
beneath.  First  they  mutilate  Seruwanga  and 
Kakumba,  and  fling  their  bleeding  bodies  upon 
the  frame-work  for  the  agony  of  the  flame.  Then 
the  executioners  approach  Lugalama,  and  he  cries, 
"  O  do  not  cut  off  my  arms :   I  will  not  struggle 


250  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

nor  fight — only  throw  me  into  the  fire  !  "  What 
a  sad  prayer :  "  Only  throw  me  into  the  fire !  " 
But  cruelty  insists  on  butchery,  and  the  armless 
trunk  is  flung  upon  the  frame-work  for  slow  fires 
to  finish  what  the  sharp  blade  has  begun.  But, 
until  their  tongues  are  crisped  in  the  flame,  those 
martyrs  continue  to  sing  praises.  Cranmer  and 
Ridley  and  Huss  and  Jerome  did  not  honor  the 
Lord  more  truly ;  and  when  Musah,  standing  by, 
was  threatened  with  a  hke  fate,  he  boldly  said  to 
Mujasi,  "  I  am  a  follower  of  Isa,  and  I  am  not 
ashamed  of  Him." 

A  young  Sunday-school  teacher,  a  poor  seam- 
stress, one  Sunday  gave  to  a  rough  street  arab  a 
shilling  to  go  to  Sunday-school.  That  boy,  Amos 
Sutton,  was  converted,  went  to  India  as  mission- 
ary, and  led  the  American  Baptists  to  begin  work 
among  the  Telugus.  How  little  they  knew  the 
stupendous  results  that  were  to  hang  on  that  mis- 
sion!  In  1853,  the  American  Baptist  Missionary 
Union,  meeting  at  Albany,  seriously  considered 
whether  it  would  not  be  best  to  give  up  that  work 
altogether — so  unfruitful  had  it  been.  It  was  on 
that  occasion  that  the  poet.  Dr.  S.  F.  Smith,  wrote 
the  now  famous  verses,  ''  Shine  on,  Lone  Star." 
The  mission  was  continued  and  reinforced. 
Twenty-five  years  after,  that  mission  gathered 
ten  thousand  converts  in  one  year — a  result  of 
Christian  labor  which  probably  surpasses  in  mag- 
nitude any  other  ever  known  in  Christian  history. 


THE  FRUIT  OF  MISSIONS.  251 

The  work  of  the  American  Baptist  Missionary 
Union  covers  seventy-seven  years  (1814-1891). 
Their  first  station  was  begun  in  18 14;  six  years 
of  sowing  passed  before  they  had  one  convert  to 
baptize,  in  1 8 1 9.  At  the  end  of  ten  years  they  had 
but  one  small  church  of  eighteen,  to  reward  a 
decade  of  trial,  self-denial,  persecution,  imprison- 
ment, and  delayed  fruit.  Now,  looking  back  over 
the  whole  period,  and  including  that  first  decade, 
on  their  mission  fields  they  have  organized  one 
church  for  every  three  weeks,  or  about  seventeen 
a  year,  and  baptized  one  convert  for  every  three 
hours,  day  and  night,  or  about  three  thousand  a 
year — over  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  thousand 
in  all. 

In  181 9,  one  baptism;  in  1886,  9,342.  In 
1824,  one  church  of  18  ;  1886,  123,580  members. 
In  1814,  $1,230.26  income  ;  1886-7,  $351,889.69. 
In  1814,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Judson  the  whole  force; 
1887,  1,986  laborers.  In  18 14,  Burmah  the  one 
field;   1886,  sixteen  fields. 

When  Adoniram  Judson  found  that  some  of 
the  friends  of  foreign  missions  were  beginning  to 
lose  heart,  he  exhorted  them  to  ''  wait  twenty  or 
thirty  years,  and  then  perhaps,"  said  he,  ''  you  will 
hear  from  us  again."  Once,  while  sick,  he  occu- 
pied the  empty  cage  of  a  lion  which  had  just  died. 
After  the  lapse  of  years,  the  King  of  Burmah,  at 
his  own  expense,  built  a  Christian  church,  a  par- 
sonage   and  a  school-house,  near   the  very  spot 


252  THE  DIVINE   ENTERPRISE. 

where  the  Hon's  cage  had  stood.  And  the  king's 
sons  were  pupils  in  the  school  taught  by  the  Chris- 
tian missionaries. 

In  Turkey  the  missionaries  have  made  seven 
new  translations  of  the  Word  of  God  within  one 
generation ;  there  are  in  Constantinople  twenty- 
one  sets  of  electrotype  plates  for  as  many  editions, 
and  over  two  million  copies  have  been  distributed. 
Rev.  Charles  Wheeler's  work  on  the  Euphrates  is 
another  example  of  the  fruits  of  missions,  and  of 
the  peculiar  fruit  of  that  field.  All  along  that 
ancient  river  he  planted  little  Christian  churches 
of  an  apostolic  sort.  He  taught  the  converts  to 
give  a  tithe  of  their  small  income  to  the  Lord, 
and  so  out  of  tcji  converts  he  would  organize  a 
church — a  self-supporting  church ;  for  over  such 
a  httle  flock  he  could  set  a  native  pastor,  who 
could  live  on  the  average  level  of  his  own  people, 
since  their  ten  tithes  would  assure  him  a  support 
equal  to  their  own.  Probably  no  such  self-sup- 
porting churches  are  to  be  found  elsewhere  except 
among  the  Unitas  Fratrum. 

In  the  Mumahassa,  or  North  Peninsula  of 
Celebes,  Riedel  and  Schwarr  were  the  means,  after 
1829,  of  turning  to  Christ  more  than  half  the  popu- 
lation of  one  hundred  and  fourteen  thousand.* 
John  G.  Paton  went  to  Aniwa,  that  little  island 
where  every  atrocity  and  iniquity  had  a  home,  and 
in  three  years  and  a  half  saw  a  transformed  com- 

*  George  Smith,  "  Short  History,"  p.  180. 


THE  FRUIT  OF  MISSIONS.  253 

munity,  the  chief  himself  leading  the  way  both  in 
the  espousal  of  Christ  and  the  public  confession 
of  Him ;  and  no  book  of  modern  missions  has 
more  fascinated  every  lover  of  missions  than  the 
story  of  Aniwa.  Wm.  A.  B.  Johnson  went  to 
Sierra  Leone  in  18 16.  He  found  there  the  ac- 
cumulated refuse  of  slave  ships,  thirty  African 
tribes  represented,  horrible  crimes  of  lust  and  drink 
and  violence,  holding  Satanic  carnival.  He  lived 
only  seven  years ;  but  before  he  died  he  saw  that 
whole  community  transformed  into  a  model  state, 
like  Duncan's  Metlakahtla  among  North  Ameri- 
can Indians ;  in  fact,  before  eighteen  months  had 
passed,  Mr.  Johnson  saw  a  revival  so  wide-spread 
and  deep-reaching  that  it  could  be  compared  only 
to  Pentecost. 

"  Comparative  theology,"  says  Dr.  Flint,  "  is  a 
magnificent  demonstration,  not  only  that  man  was 
made  for  religion,  but  what  religion  he  was  made 
for."  It  is  true  that  results  have  come  slowly  at 
the  first  in  most  cases,  like  the  most  valuable  har- 
vests. In  the  Hawaiian  group,  five  years  passed 
by  before  the  first  convert,  the  Regent  Kauhumanu, 
yielded  to  Christ;  six  years  in  Burmah,  before 
Moung  Nau,  and  as  many  years  among  the  Karens, 
before  Kho-Thah-Byu,  rewarded  the  toil.  In  India, 
it  was  seven  years  before  Krishna  Chundra  Pal 
was  baptized ;  and  in  Siam  it  was  twelve  before 
Nai  Chune  became  the  first-fruits.  Mr.  Henry  and 
Mr.  Nott  waited  at  Tahiti  sixteen  years  before 


254  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

Pomare  II.,  the  king,  took  the  lead  in  conversion, 
and  at  New  Zealand  Samuel  Marsden  lived  on 
hope  alone  for  twenty  years.  In  Australia,  in 
i860,  Nathaniel  Pipper  was  the  first  convert,  after 
thirty-six  years ;  and  so  great  was  the  event  that 
a  pubhc  meeting  was  called  to  celebrate  it,  with 
the  governor  in  the  chair ;  and  in  the  mountains 
of  Na  Vita  Leva,  in  the  Fiji  group,  paganism  sur- 
vived for  more  than  fifty  years  after  the  first  mis- 
sionaries had  landed.  Notwithstanding  the  fact 
that  the  Fijians  had,  as  a  nation,  long  since 
renounced  idols,  paganism  survived  in  this  moun- 
tain district  till  about  ten  years  ago. 

But  all  this  waiting  has  had  its  reward.  The 
Hawaiian  Islands  more  than  twenty  years  since 
took  their  place  among  Christian  nations ;  where 
Adoniram  Judson  toiled  there  are  now  more  than 
thirty  thousand  converted  Burmese ;  where  Mr. 
Boardman  baptized  Kho  Tha  Byu  in  1828,  in 
1878,  when  the  Memorial  Hall  was  built  to  keep 
the  Jubilee  of  that  event,  there  were  thirty  thousand 
Christian  Karens  who  had  fallen  asleep  beside  as 
many  more  who  were  living  for  Christ.  Sir  Charles 
Bernard  recently  stated  that  the  Christian  Karens 
number  two  hundred  thousand,  or  fully  one-third 
of  the  Karen  people.  About  five  hundred  con- 
gregations are  practically  self-supporting.  They 
tithe  the  produce  of  their  land  for  the  support  of 
their  pastors.  They  also  send  missionaries  to 
Siam  and  furnish  all  their  support. 


THE   FRUIT  OF  MISSIONS.  255 

Where  Carey  and  his  colaborers  sowed  in  tears, 
there  are  not  less  than  eight  hundred  thousand 
baptized  East  Indians,  and  Christian  communities 
numbering  four  or  five  times  as  many.  That  first 
convert  of  all  Western  Polynesia  was  the  leader  of 
a  host  now  numbering  eight  hundred  thousand 
living  disciples  in  the  South  Seas.  Samuel  Mars- 
den's  twenty  years  of  patience  has  its  reward :  in 
1842,  twenty-eight  years  after  he  landed  in  New 
Zealand,  a  bishop  was  sent  from  Britain  to  take 
charge  of  a  diocese  which  included  the  whole 
nation ;  and  among  the  Fiji  group  not  one  pro- 
fessedly heathen  village  can  be  found  since  that 
last  mountain  citadel  yielded  to  Christ. 

These  are  but  a  few  examples  among  many. 
We  might  multiply  them  indefinitely,  showing  that, 
even  where  the  laborers  have  been  called  to  exer- 
cise long  patience,  the  latter  rain  has  come  though 
the  early  rain  was  withheld,  and  the  harvest  has 
proved  abundant. 

Mission  work  proper  began  in  China  with  the 
cession  of  Hong  Kong  in  1843.  Then  the  labor- 
ers were  very  few  and  the  converts  in  all,  seven ; 
in  1888,  34,555.  The  rate  of  increase  is  notice- 
able:  in  the  twenty-five  years  from  1863  to  1888, 
the  rate  was  eighteen-fold ;  at  the  same  rate,  the 
next  quarter  century  would  show  over  850,000, 
and  a  half  century  more  would  show  fifteen  milHon, 
or  one  in  every  twenty-five  inhabitants  a  professed 
disciple.     This  increase  of  ratio  is  one  of  the  com- 


256  THE   DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

mon  facts  of  missionary  history :  the  progression 
is  not  ''  arithmetical,"  but  "  geometrical  " — not 
along  the  slow  lines  of  addition,  but  by  the  rapid 
process  of  multiplication ;  not,  like  a  line,  in  one 
direction  of  length  only,  but  like  an  expanding 
cube,  in  breadth  and  depth  and  height  also.  Let 
the  Church  but  do  her  duty  and  God  will  show 
greater  wonders  still;  thirty-fold  shall  become 
sixty,  and  an  hundred-fold. 

The  fruit  of  missionary  toil  must  be  judged  nega- 
tively as  well  as  positively — by  what  it  has  displaced 
as  well  as  by  what  it  has  created. 

Rev.  William  Ward  gives  the  testimony  of  a 
Hindu  Pundit,  that  in  the  province  of  Bengal 
alone,  ten  thousand  children  were  every  month 
put  to  death  by  their  own  mothers.  On  the  coast 
of  Malabar  evil  spirits  have  for  centuries  been 
worshipped  by  all  classes  except  Brahmins,  all 
other  Hindus  paying  them  homage.  To  the  low- 
est caste,  that  of  slaves,  is  attributed  the  power  to 
let  loose  upon  men  the  evil  demon,  and  exorcists 
are  called  in  with  noisy  native  drums,  charms,  and 
incantations,  to  drive  out  the  malignant  spirit.  In 
the  district  of  Canara  alone  were  4,041  temples 
to  evil  demons,  beside  3,682  to  other  fanes,  only 
as  long  ago  as  1842;  and  it  was  emphatically 
"  Satan's  seat." 

Claudius  Buchanan,  in  1806,  knew  his  approach 
to  Juggernaut,  when  yet  fifty  miles  off,  by  the 
human  bones  which  paved  the  way.     He  called 


THE  FRUIT  OF  MISSIONS,  257 

it  *'  the  Valley  of  Death,"  hkening  it  to  the  valley 
of  Hinnom,  and  Juggernaut,  to  the  ancient  Mo- 
loch. He  found  the  temples  of  this  hideous 
monster  decked  with  the  symbols  of  sensuality, 
walls  and  gates  bearing  indecency,  wrought  in 
massive  sculpture  as  in  the  buried  city  at  the  foot 
of  Vesuvius.  Two  kindred  idols,  Boloram  and 
Shudubra,  brother  and  sister,  were  borne  along 
with  Juggernaut  in  festive  procession.  The  priests 
taught  the  people  that  the  great  weight  of  the 
huge  car  would  be  moved  only  as  they,  the  dev- 
otees, pleased  the  hideous  god  with  lascivious 
attitude,  gesture,  and  song.  The  green  slime  of 
the  leprosy  of  lust  and  the  red  stains  of  blood 
covered  the  worship  of  Juggernaut.  And  yet  a 
quarter  century  ago  the  crowds  were  so  great  at 
his  festivals  that  ''  one  hundred  thousand  attend- 
ants would  not  be  missed." 

For  two  hundred  and  fifty  years  England 
seemed  blind  to  Divine  Providence  in  British  oc- 
cupation of  the  East  Indies^  and  her  rulers  fought 
against  the  evangelization  of  India.  Up  to  the 
time  of  the  new  charter  of  the  East  India  Com- 
pany, in  1813,  the  opposition  was  open,  systematic, 
and  often  mahgnant  and  violent.  Tongues  and 
pens  were  used,  and  ignorance  united  with  viru- 
lence against  missions.  The  arguments  employed 
were  so  absurd  that  Dr.  Duff  has  compared  them 
to  curious  "  fossil  rehques  of  antediluvian  ages." 

When,  in   1793,  in  a  bill  pending  for  renewal 


258  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

of  the  Company's  charter,  clauses  were  introduced 
meant  to  encourage  the  propagation  of  the  Gospel, 
they  were  promptly  and  peremptorily  ftegatived. 
A  learned  prelate  in  the  House  of  Lords,  a 
champion  of  orthodoxy,  too,  argued  against  any 
interference  with  the  religion,  laws,  local  customs 
of  the  people  of  India,  alleging  that  upon  English- 
men rested  "  no  obHgation  to  attempt  the  conver- 
sion of  the  natives,"  even  were  it  possible — which 
he  denied  ;  and  that  "  the  command  to  preach  the 
Gospel  to  all  nations  did  not  in  this  case  apply !  " 

In  181 3,  in  the  British  House  of  Commons, 
Mr.  Charles  Marsh  likewise  protested  against  the 
introduction  of  Christianity  into  India: 

"  When  I  look  at  the  peaceful  and  harmonious 
alliances  of  families,  guarded  and  secured  by  the 
household  virtues ;  when  I  see  amongst  a  cheerful 
and  well-ordered  society  the  benignant  and  soften- 
ing influences  of  rehgion  and  morality ;  a  system 
of  manners  founded  upon  a  mild  and  poHshed 
obedience,  and  preserving  the  surface  of  social 
hfe  smooth  and  unrufled,  I  cannot  hear  without 
surprise,  mingled  with  horror,  of  sending  out  Bap- 
tists and  anabaptists  to  civilize  and  convert  such 
a  people,  at  hazard  of  disturbing  or  deforming 
institutions  which  appear  to  have  been  hitherto 
the  means  ordained  by  Providence  of  making 
them  virtuous  and  happy."  * 

This  was  seventy-eight  years  ago;  and  while 

*  Exeter  Hall  Lectures,  1850-1, 


THE  FRUIT  OF  MISSIOXS.  259 

Mr.  Marsh  was  indulging  his  philippic  against 
missions,  a  class  of  Hindu  procurers,  called 
"  Panwas,"  made  it  their  profession  to  provide 
victims  for  a  hideous  human  sacrifice  in  the  Meriah 
groves.  These  victims,  or  "  Meriahs,"  might  be 
selected  without  regard  to  age  or  sex,  bought  or 
stolen  from  the  poorer  classes ;  then  conveyed 
from  the  plains  to  the  hills,  they  were  sold  for  so 
many  lives,  i.e.,  cattle,  sheep,  pigs,  or  fowls, — the 
medium  of  exchange  where  there  is  no  metalHc 
currency.  As  a  life  unbought  would  be  an  abom- 
ination to  the  gods,  a  price  must  be  paid. 

In  all  the  villages  young  persons  were  reared 
and  kept  in  readiness  for  this  slaughter,  and  within 
a  comparatively  small  district  four  or  five  hundred 
such  sacrifices  have  been  annually  offered  for 
probably  two  or  three  thousand  years.  Human 
blood  enriches  the  soil  in  the  spring-time,  and  in 
the  autumn  must  sanctify  the  harvest ;  and  mean- 
while drought,  dearth,  disease,  and  other  crises  call 
for  similar  sacrifices. 

Dr.  Duff  has  described  these  horrid  orgies  of 
death  :  "  In  the  centre  of  the  sacred  Meriah  grove 
is  an  open  space.  The  festival  lasts  three  days, 
the  first  of  which  is  consumed  in  riotous  excess  of 
drink  and  other  abominations  ;  on  the  second,  amid 
the  clang  of  many  instruments,  the  victim,  in  gay 
attire,  is  borne  to  the  centre  of  the  grove,  fastened 
to  a  post,  and  there  remains  while  lust  and  super- 
stition revel  in  nameless  indecencies.     The  victim. 


26o  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

smeared  with  oil,  butter,  and  turmeric,  is  the  ob- 
ject of  homage  and  worship.  The  third  day  is 
the  chmax  of  horror  and  cruelty.  The  victim 
must  neither  resist  nor  be  bound,  so  his  arms  and 
legs  are  usually  broken  to  insure  passiveness.  A 
large  tree  or  branch  is  brought,  with  a  rift  or  slit 
up  the  middle,  into  which  the  neck  is  inserted,  the 
ends  being  bound  with  cords ;  and  thus  held  fast, 
the  poor  creature  is  ready  for  the  last  rites.  The 
hatchet  of  the  priest  strikes  the  shoulders  as  a 
signal,  and  then,  with  the  swiftness  and  the  fury 
of  madmen,  the  whole  multitude  pounce  upon 
him,  tear  every  shred  of  flesh  from  the  bones, 
and  fling  these  bloody  fragments  over  the  fields, 
an  offering  to  the  deity."  These  are  a  part  of 
those  "means  ordained  by  Providence  of  mak- 
ing them  virtuous  and  happy," — those  beneficent 
"  institutions,"  the  "  hazard  of  disturbing  or  de- 
forming" which  filled  Mr.  Marsh  with  surprise 
and  horror. 

It  need  not  be  said  that,  notwithstanding  Mr. 
Marsh  and  his  coadjutors,  the  Christian  sentiment 
prevailed,  and  the  new  charter  gave  sanction  to 
the  efforts  of  missionaries,  though,  until  the  East 
India  Company  ceased,  in  1858,  to  control,  it  was 
always  the  secret  or  open  foe  of  missions.  The 
teaching  of  the  Gospel  was  a  hindrance  to  greed 
and  lust  and  all  injustice  and  robbery ;  and  we 
can  understand  why  one  of  the  directors  should 
have  frankly  declared  that  he  would  rather  a  band 


rilE  FRUIT  OF  MISSIONS.  261 

of  devils,  than  of  missionaries,  landed  in  India.* 
We  can  also  account  for  the  spirit  that  led  some, 
even  amid  the  horrors  of  the  mutiny  and  massacre 
of  1857,  to  throw  up  their  hats  and  cry,  "  Hurrah  ! 
We  shall  get  rid  of  the  saints."  But  instead,  the 
saints  got  rid  of  them. 

Before  the  transfer  of  the  Company's  possessions 
in  1858,  noble  men  led  the  way  in  the  reformation 
of  India.  In  1829,  Lord  WilHam  Bentinck,  gov- 
ernor, decreed  that  all  aid,  assistance,  or  partici- 
pation in  any  suttees  should  be  construed  and 
punished  as  murder.  The  Brahmins  replied  that 
their  conscience  dictated  that  the  widow  ought  to 
be  sacrificed,  and  asked  whether  Englishmen  did 
not  teach  all  men  to  obey  conscience.  Bentinck 
repHed  :  "  Obey  your  conscience:  but  the  English- 
man's conscience  dictates  the  hanging  of  every 
one  of  you  that  is  a  party  to  such  rehgious  miirder. 
Follow  your  conscience,  and  I  will  follow  mine  !  " 
Infanticide  has  been  similarly  suppressed ;  the  last 
link  between  idol  fanes  and  state  patronage  was 
broken  in  1863,  and  Sir  John  Lawrence's  utterance 
justified,  that  "  Christian  acts  done  in  a  Christian 
way  will  never  ahenate  the  heathen." 

Dr.  John  Wilson,  of  Bombay,  enumerates  as  fol- 
lows some  of  the  benefits  of  British  rule  in  India : 

Horrors  and  iniquities  removed : 

I.  Murder  of  parents  by  suttee,  exposure  on 
river  banks,  and  burial  ahve. 

*  Exeter  Hall,  Lectures,  1850-1,  pp.  9092. 


262  THE  DIVINE  ENTERFx^ISE. 

II.  Murder  of  children,  by  dedication  to  the 
Ganges,  to  be  devoured  by  crocodiles,  by  Rajpoot 
infanticide. 

III.  Human  sacrifices,  in  temples,  by  wild 
tribes,  and  in  the  Meriah  groves  of  the  Khonds. 

IV.  Suicide ;  by  crushing  under  idol  cars ;  by 
devotees  drowning  themselves  in  rivers  and  casting 
themselves  from  precipices ;  widows  leaping  into 
wells ;  by  Traga. 

V.  Voluntary  torment:  by  hook-swinging, 
thigh-piercing,  tongue-extraction,  falling  on  knives, 
and  austerities. 

VI.  Involuntary  torment :  by  barbarous  execu- 
tions, mutilation  of  criminals,  evidence  under  tor- 
ture, bloody  and  injurious  ordeals,  cutting  off 
women's  noses,  etc. 

VII.  Slavery  :  hereditary,  predial,  domestic,  im- 
portation of  slaves  from  Africa. 

VIII.  Extortions :  by  Dharana,  by  Traga. 

IX.  Religious  intolerance  :  prevention  of  propa- 
gation of  Christianity ;  requiring  Christian  soldiers 
to  fire  salutes  on  heathen  festivals,  saluting  gods 
on  official  papers,  managing  affairs  of  idol  temples. 

X.  Support  of  caste  by  law :  exclusion  of  low 
castes  from  office,  exemption  of  high  castes  from 
appearing  in  evidence,  disparagement  of  low  caste. 

These  results  indicate  the  effect  of  British 
occupation  of  India,  only  in  one  direction ;  and 
in  spite  of  all  the  unfavorable  impressions  left  by 
the  administration  of  the  British  East  India  Com- 


THE  FRUIT  OF  MISSIONS.  263 

pany  and  by  all  the  disastrous  mistakes  of  British 
residents  and  provincial  governors  and  their  sub- 
ordinates. 

When  Dr.  Duff  began  work  in  Calcutta  he 
looked  upon  female  education  as  an  impossibility. 
"  You  might  as  well  try  to  scale  a  wall  five  hun- 
dred yards  high,  as  attempt  female  education  in 
India."  To-day  there  are  in  the  province  of  Ben- 
gal alone  probably  not  less  than  100,000  receiving 
instruction,  and  into  the  higher  education  not  only 
the  lower  castes,  but  many  of  India's  most  gifted 
daughters,  are  pressing  forward.  What  half  a 
century  since  was  the  missionaries'  despair  has 
now  become  their  brightest  hope :  the  far-off  goal 
of  fifty  years  ago,  so  remote  as  to  be  invisible,  is 
the  starting-point  to-day,  and  will  be  left  far  be- 
hind in  the  new  starting-point  of  to-morrow.  The 
keenest  observers  of  India's  condition,  even  the 
natives  themselves,  frankly  confess  that  the  future 
of  that  country  is  to  be  Christian ;  and  many  of 
them  have  said  that,  while  they  cannot  change, 
their  children  will  forsake  the  gods  of  India. 

In  1834,  Mr.  Abeel,  of  China,  moved  the 
women  of  Britain  by  his  appeals  to  carry  the 
Gospel  to  women  in  India  and  China.  This  at- 
tempt was  the  parent  of  zenana  missions.  At 
that  time  even  Christians  and  missionaries  held  it 
to  be  impracticable — it  was  attem.pting  to  force 
one's  way  through  gates  of  steel  and  walls  of 
stone,  to  seek  access  to  harems,  etc.     In  1884, 


264  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

the  Jubilee  year  of  the  ''Society  for  Promoting 
Female  Education  in  the  East "  found  one  hundred 
and  sixty  lady  missionaries  enrolled,  and  pupils  in 
zenanas  numbering  thousands  and,  in  day  schools, 
tens  of  thousands.  In  prominent  and  populous 
cities,  Bible  women  were  entering  the  richest 
homes,  and  enlightened  Hindus  were  clamoring 
for  the  education  of  their  wives  and  daughters. 
At  the  Jubilee  meeting  Shaftesbury  said:  "The 
time  is  at  hand  when  you  will  see  the  great  dimen- 
sions of  the  work  you  are  doing :  not  only  in 
India,  but  throughout  the  East,  great  changes  afe 
in  the  future." 

At  that  Jubilee  year  zenana  missions  were 
established  in  Japan,  Africa,  Egypt,  Ceylon,  Persia, 
etc.  A  prominent  Hindu  says  :  "  If  these  women 
reach  the  hearts  of  our  women  they  will  soon  get 
at  the  heads  of  the  men  of  our  country." 

The  way  in  which,  the  key  by  which,  these  long- 
shut  zenana  doors  were  actually  opened,  is  interest- 
ing and  suggestive.  Mrs.  EHzabeth  Sale,  of  Hel- 
ensburgh, Scotland,  writes  me  :  "As  soon  as  I  knew 
enough  of  the  language  to  make  myself  understood, 
I  began  going  into  the  villages  of  India  among 
the  women,  in  1852.  In  1856,  I  got  the  first  en- 
trance into  a  zenana  proper.  In  1858,  I  began 
work  in  Calcutta,  and  worked  more  than  a  year 
in  my  first  house  before  I  got  any  one  to  take 
anything  out  of  my  hand.  It  was  very  difficult  to 
get  one  of  the  ladies  to  look  at  a  book,  as  they 


THE  FRUIT  OF  MISSIONS.  265 

feared  being  made  widows  if  they  desired  to  know 
anything  of  the  outside  world.  As  soon  as  some 
httle  bits  of  work  were  finished,  a  little  pair  of 
shoes  and  a  bit  of  canvas  work,  I  had  them  made 
up,  which  so  delighted  the  husbands  and  brothers 
that  the  "  wonderful  work  "  was  taken  to  other 
houses,  when  invitations  came  to  teach  there  also. 
The  needle-work  had  to  be  made  the  bribe  to 
learn  to  read.  I  had  been  so  far  blessed  that  the 
ladies  in  their  zenanas  were  daily  hearing  the 
Scriptures  read,  and  some  had  so  far  broken 
through  their  fears  that  they  were  learning  to  read. 

'*  In  i860,  my  husband  was  ordered  to  Europe. 
When  I  heard  of  the  arrival  of  Mrs.  Mullens  and  her 
daughters,  I  wrote  to  her  of  this  opening,  when  she 
came  and  was  introduced  to  the  ladies  of  the  three 
zenanas;  and  from  that  time  the  work  rapidly  spread. 
Now  there  is  no  need  of  work  as  a  bribe  to  learn 
to  read,  so  anxious  are  the  women  for  instruction." 

It  is  perhaps  worth  while  to  compare  the  con- 
ditions of  woman's  work  in  India  in  1851  and  1881, 
and  see  the  growth  of  thirty  years. 

1851.  1881. 

Female  workers,  foreign  and  native     .  1,390  2,485 

Boarding  Schools 91  171 

Pupils         ...'....  11,549  49>55o 

Zenanas  accessible     . 1,300  9,506 

"        Pupils 1,977  9,288 

Total     under    Christian     Instruction, 

male  and  female 77,850  234,790 

Sunday  Schools none  83,321 


266  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE, 

In  thirty  years  the  workers  multiplied  nearly 
twofold,  the  boarding-school  pupils  over  fourfold, 
the  number  of  open  zenanas  over  sevenfold,  and 
zenana  pupils  about  fivefold,  and  total  number 
taught,  threefold.  But  as  yet  this  work  is  but 
begun.  The  walls  of  age-long  prejudice  are  but 
just  giving  way ;  and  what  astonishing  results  may 
now  begin  to  appear  ! 

In  such  a  stronghold  of  Satan  as  India,  results 
cannot  be  estimated  by  the  number  of  professed 
converts.  Within  the  Madras  Presidency,  in  the 
thirty  years  from  1851  to  1881,  churches  multi- 
pHed  eighteenfold,  Christian  adherents  fourfold, 
communicants  sevenfold,  and  lay  preachers  five- 
fold; but  the  Indian  Witness,  in  1889,  makes  the 
public  confession :  ''  Secret  beHevers  are  rapidly 
multiplying.  For  every  convert  avowing  faith 
are  hundreds  withholding  confession  for  fear  of 
their  kin  and  caste.  Thousands  are  ready  when 
a  break  shall  come." 

We,  who  hve  amid  Christian  institutions,  can- 
not understand  the  almost  impenetrable  barriers 
through  which  a  convert  in  India  must  force  his 
way.  Here  are  260,000,000  of  people,  sunk  in 
poverty  so  deep  that  a  hungry  man  will  pray  for 
tigers  because  they  do  not  completely  devour 
their  victims,  and  he  may,  from  what  they  leave, 
appease  his  hunger ;  and  in  idolatry  so  low  that  a 
human  being  will  pray  to  a  hole  in  a  rock ;  and 
these  millions  are  bound  together  in  the  iron  bonds 


THE  FRUIT  OF  MISSIONS.  267 

of  a  caste  system  which  is  a  ''  cellular  structure  of 
society,  with  isolation  so  complete  that  the  cells 
never  interpenetrate,"  and  yet  to  break  through 
whose  arbitrary  restraints  is  to  meet  a  penalty 
worse  than  death.  AVhat  chance  for  woman  in  a 
land  where  two  propositions  form  the  unit  on 
which  all  sects  and  classes  agree :  "  The  cow  is  a 
holy  animal,  and  entitled  to  divine  honors ;  " 
'*  Woman  is  a  wicked  animal,  entitled  to  no  re- 
spect!" 

A  native  Hindu  paper  thus  summarizes  the 
work  of  Carey,  Marshman,  and  Ward,  at  Seram- 
pore  :  "  They  created  a  prose  vernacular  literature 
for  Bengal ;  they  established  the  modern  method 
of  popular  education  ;  they  gave  the  first  great  im- 
pulse to  the  native  press;  they  set  up  the  first 
steams-engine  in  India  ;  in  ten  years  they  translated 
and  printed  the  Bible,  or  parts  thereof,  in  thirty- 
one  languages." 

Hear  another  witness :  "  Missionaries  come 
from  Britain  at  a  great  cost,  and  tell  us  that  we 
are  in  heathen  darkness,  and  that  a  bundle  of 
fables,  called  the  Bible,  is  the  true  Vedanta,  which 
alone  can  enlighten  us.  They  have  cast  their  net 
over  our  children  by  teaching  them  in  their 
schools,  and  they  have  already  made  thousands 
OF  Christians,  and  are  continuing  to  do  so. 
They  have  penetrated  into  the  most  out-of-the-way 
villages  and  built  churches  there.  If  we  continue 
to  sleep  as  we  have  done  in  the  past,  not  one  will 


2  68  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

be  found  worshipping  in  our  temples  in  a  very 
short  time ;  why,  the  temples  themselves  will  be 
converted  into  Christian  churches  !  Do  you  not 
know  that  the  number  of  Christians  is  increas- 
ing, and  the  number  of  the  Hindu  rehgionists 
DECREASING  cvery  day?  How  long  will  water 
remain  in  a  well  which  continually  lets  out,  but 
receives  none  in !  If  our  reUgion  is  incessantly 
drained  by  Christianity  without  receiving  any  ac- 
cessions, how  can  it  last  ?  -  When  our  country  is 
turned  into  the  wilderness  of  Christianity,  will  the 
herb  of  Hinduism  grow  %  We  must  not  fear  the 
missionaries  because  they  have  white  faces,  or 
because  they  belong  to  the  ruling  class.  There 
is  no  connection  between  the  Government  and 
Christianity,  for  the  Queen  Empress  proclaimed 
neutrahty  in  all  religious  matters  in  1858.  We 
must,  therefore,  oppose  the  missionaries  with  all 
our  might.  Wherever  they  stand  up  to  preach, 
let  Hindu  preachers  stand  up  and  start  rival 
preaching  at  a  distance  of  forty  feet  from  them, 
and  they  will  soon  flee  away.  Let  caste  and  sec- 
tarian differences  be  forgotten,  and  let  all  the 
people  join  as  one  man  to  banish  Christianity  from 
our  land.  All  possible  efforts  should  be  made  to 
win  back  those  who  have  embraced  Christianity, 
and  all  children  should  be  withdrawn  from  mission 
schools." — From  a  Tamil  Hindu  Tract. 

"At  a  recent  missionary  meeting  in  Bombay, 
Sir  Charles  ElHot,  fearing  they  might  be  forgotten, 


THE  FRUIT  OF  MISSIONS.  269 

restated  the  interesting  facts  presented  two  years 
ago,  as  to  the  numerical  progress  made  by  Chris- 
tianity in  Hindustan  from  1870  to  1881,  which 
showed  that,  while  the  general  population  of  India 
increased  by  eight  per  cent,  during  the  ten  years 
closing  with  the  year  1881,  there  was  an  increase 
of  thirty  per  cent,  during  the  same  period  in  the 
number  of  Christians.  In  some  portions  of  India 
there  was  a  still  larger  relative  increase.  In  the 
province  of  Bengal,  while  the  increase  in  the  num- 
ber of  Hindus  in  ten  years  was  thirteen  per  cent., 
and  that  of  the  Mohammedans  eleven  per  cent., 
that  of  native  Christians  was  sixty-four  per  cent. 
In  the  province  of  Assam,  in  the  extreme  north- 
east of  India,  while  during  the  decade  already 
mentioned  the  general  increase  of  population  was 
eighteen  per  cent.,  there  was  an  increase  of  one 
hundred  and  fifty  per  cent,  in  the  number  of 
Christians  in  the  eight  valley  districts,  and  in  the 
Khasia  hills,  where  a  devoted  band  of  Welsh  mis- 
sionaries are  doing  a  grand  work,  the  increase  had 
been  at  the  rate  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  per 
cent. !  What  may  have  been  the  comparative 
results  of  missionary  labors  during  the  decade  just 
closed,  and  according  to  the  census  recently  taken, 
will  be  known  in  due  time.  It  will  undoubtedly 
present  a  greater  relative  percentage  in  the  increase 
of  native  Christians  in  the  sections  now  named, 
and  also  in  others.  In  the  face  of  such  facts,  he 
who  assumes  to  say  that  missions  are  a  failure, 


270  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

only  shows  his  own  ignorance  or  a  perverse  de- 
termination not  to  recognize  the  truth."  * 

Eighty-five  years  ago,  says  the  Missionary  Her- 
ald, the  Directors  of  the  East  India  Company 
placed  on  solemn  record :  ''  The  sending  of 
Christian  missionaries  into  our  Eastern  possessions 
is  the  maddest,  most  expensive,  most  unwarranted 
project  that  was  ever  proposed  by  a  lunatic  en- 
thusiast." A  few  months  since.  Sir  Rivers  Thomp- 
son, Lieutenant-Governor  of  Bengal,  said :  ''  In 
my  judgment.  Christian  missionaries  have  done 
more  real  and  lasting  good  to  the  people  of  India 
than  all  other  agencies  combined." 

And  yet  there  are  some  who  persist  in  belittling 
the  work  of  evangeHzation.  The  London  Times, 
of  1863,  accounted  for  "prevailing  apathy  as  to 
the  propagation  of  the  Gospel  by  the  lack  of  sat- 
isfactory results";  and  yet,  already  in  1863,  mis- 
sions had  left  on  record  some  of  the  most  apostohc 
biographies  and  histories  ever  written.  Already 
the  new  book  of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  had  re- 
corded the  modern  miracles  wrought  under  Wil- 
liam Carey,  Robert  Morrison,  and  Robert  Moffat, 
William  Johnson  and  Adoniram  Judson,  John 
Hunt  and  John  Williams,  Justin  Perkins  and  Peter 
Parker,  Latimer  Neville  and  Dr.  Krapf,  John 
Geddie  and  Charles  Gutzlaff,  WilHam  Goodell  and 
Charles  Wheeler,  Jonas  King  and  Eh  Smith, 
Henry  Martyn  and  David  Brainerd,  Eliza  Agnew 

*  Correspondent  of  New  York  Evangelist, 


THE  FRUIT  OF  MISSIONS.  271 

anci  Fidelia  Fiske,  Rosine  Krapf  and  Mrs.  Grant, 
and  Melinda  Rankin,  Dober  and  Nitschman  and 
John  Wilson  and  William  Bums,  and  Chamber- 
lain and  Lansing  and  Hogg  and  Butler  and 
Coleridge  Patteson.  ''  Truth  against  the  world  " 
is  the  motto  on  encaustic  tiling  in  Tennyson's 
vestibule. 

Again,  at  the  very  time  of  the  great  World's 
Conference  of  Missions  at  London,  the  London 
7}mes  gave  the  same  challenge  as  that  of  a  quar- 
ter century  before,  as  though  a  Rip-Van-Winkle 
sleep  had  meanwhile  buried  its  editor  in  oblivion. 
On  June  15,  1888,  referring  to  the  appeals  for 
more  men  and  money,  the  editorial  thus  closes : 
"Before  the  promoters  of  missionary  work  can 
expect  to  have  greater  resources  confided  to  them, 
they  will  have  to  render  a  satisfactory  account  of 
their  trust  in  the  past.  Their  progress,  it  is  to  be 
hoped,  is  sure ;  indisputably  it  is  slow.  A  con- 
gress Hke  the  present  would  be  better  employed 
in  tracing  the  reasons  for  the  deficiency  in  quan- 
tity of  success  than  in  glorifying  the  modicum 
which  has  been  attained.  The  cause  it  advocates 
has  vanquished  the  obstructions  interposed  at 
home  to  the  accomplishment  of  its  aims.  It  en- 
joys a  sufficiency  which,  according  to  ordinary 
estimates,  might  seem  an  abundance  of  good-will 
and  funds.  Still  it  marches  at  a  pace  which,  un- 
less it  be  registered  by  the  enthusiasm  of  Exeter 
Hall,  appears  httle  more  than  funereal.     If  Carey 


272  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

could  have  foreseen  the  magnificence  of  the  means 
which  his  successors  were  destined  to  command, 
and  the  removal  as  if  by  magic  of  all  the  barriers 
which  hemmed  him  in,  he  would  have  supposed 
that  the  foes  were  beaten  and  the  harvest  was  be- 
ing reaped.  Exeter  Hall  says  it  is,  and  that  the 
only  thing  now  to  be  done  is  to  hold  the  conquered 
forts  and  to  push  on  to  fresh  conquests.  For 
eyes,  not  endowed  with  the  second  sight  of  the 
platform,  the  principal  citadels  of  heathendom 
continue  to  flaunt  their  banners  as  before.  If 
some  people  profess  to  beheve,  as  one  speaker 
deplored  the  other  day,  that  they  hear  too  much 
of  foreign  missions,  the  explanation  is  that  they 
see  too  Httle  of  their  results."  The  writer,  who 
was  a  delegate  to  that  World's  Conference,  was 
moved  to  say  in  answer  to  this  challenge,  that, 
whatever  the  editor  of  the  Ti7nes  might  know  of 
human  Empires,  he  evidently  knew  very  little  of 
the  progress  of  the  Kingdom  of  God. 

It  behoves  not  Christian  nations,  which  owe  all 
their  civilization  to  Christianity,  brought  to  them 
by  missionaries,  to  depreciate  missions.  St. 
Jerome  states  that  when  "  a  boy,  living  in  Gaul, 
he  beheld  the  Scots,  a  people  of  Britain,  eating 
human  flesh;  and  though  there  were  plenty  of 
cattle  and  sheep  at  their  disposal,  yet  they  would 
prefer  a  ham  of  the  herdsman  or  a  slice  of  the 
female  breast  as  a  luxury."  * 

*  "Among  the  Cannibals,"  100. 


rilE  FRUIT  OF  MISSIONS.  273 

The  Scots  then  were  once  cannibals.  When 
Julius  Caisar  landed  at  Deal,  he  found  the  Britons 
a  mere  horde  of  half-naked  savages,  Hving  in  rude 
huts,  and  clad  in  skins,  sunk  in  ignorance  and 
degradation.  What  has  lifted  Great  Britain  from 
barbarism  and  savagery  to  the  foremost  place 
among  the  Christian  nations  of  the  world,  and  the 
leadership  of  a  world's  missions  ? 

From  the  middle  of  Elizabeth's  reign  to  the 
long  Parliament  the  British  people  were  the  people 
of  a  book,  and  that  book  the  Bible.  Elizabeth 
might  silence  or  tune  her  preachers,  but  not  the 
prophets.*  And,  while  those  who  prepared  the 
EngHsh  Bible  for  the  people  were  burned  at" 
the  stake  or  treated  with  indignity,  there  was  one 
martyr  who  prayed,  "  O  Lord,  open  the  King  of 
England's  eyes ;  "  and  that  king  introduced,  with- 
out knowing  it,  that  very  Bible  among  the  common 
people,  as  a  mere  stroke  of  state-craft ;  and  to  that 
Bible,  and  to  the  missionaries  of  the  cross,  every 
nation  that  takes  rank  among  the  enlightened 
leaders  of  the  world  owes  to-day  all  its  lofty  level 
of  national  life.  That  man  in  a  Christian  nation 
who  ridicules  missions  is  hke  the  cub  who  kicks 
the  dam  by  which  he  was  born  and  suckled ! 

Yes,  even  modern  missions  have  their  ''  critics." 
As  Oscar  Wilde  found  fault  with  the  Atlantic 
as  monotonous,  and  with  Niagara  as  wanting 
variety  of  Hne,  there  are  those  who  stand  and  look 

*  Green's  Short  History. 


2  74  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE, 

on  the  marvellous  work  of  a  century,  whose  re- 
sults, considering  all  the  hindrances,  and  the  feeble 
force  employed,  can  be  compared  to  no  other  ever 
wrought  in  human  history,  and  find  only  occasion 
for  blame  ! 

Mythology  tells  us  how  Pan,  the  god  of  shep- 
herds, opposed  his  rude  reed  music  to  Apollo's 
wondrous  lyre;  and  how  Mt.  Timolus  pro- 
nounced Pan  defeated  in  the  contest.  Only 
Midas  dissented  from  the  decision,  and,  as  a  reward 
for  his  obtuseness  and  obstinacy,  his  ears  were 
lengthened  to  the  dimensions  of  an  inferior  animal. 
Midas  tried  to  hide  the  ass's  ears,  and  his  attend- 
ant, when  he  discovered  the  secret  and  could  not 
keep  it,  dug  a  deep  hole  and  whispered  it  to 
the  mother  earth.  But  the  reeds  that  grew,  moved 
by  the  wind,  whispered :  "  King  Midas  has  ass's 
ears  !  "  Let  these  critics  who  set  their  judgment 
against  not  only  the  verdict  of  wiser  men,  but  the 
very  facts  of  the  age,  beware  lest  the  very  soil  of 
society  bear  witness  to  their  stupidity,  "preten- 
tious inaccuracy  "  and  "presumptuous  ignorance." 

Mr.  Darwin,  though  the  apostle  of  materialism, 
was  still  too  honest  to  withhold  a  tribute  when  it 
was  due.  In  his  recently  published  "  Life  and 
Letters,"  he  has  recorded  his  impressions  of  Tierra 
del  Fuego,  when  he  visited  that  land  in  1833-4; 
he  wrote : 

"  The  Fuegians  are  in  a  more  miserable  state 
of  barbarism  than  I  had  ever  expected  to  have 


THE  FRUIT  OF  MISSIONS.  275 

seen  any  human  being."  He  describes  them  as 
absolutely  naked,  in  primitive  wildness ;  he  says 
that,  as  they  were  seated  on  a  rocky  point,  throw- 
ing their  arms  wildly  about,  yeUing,  they  seemed 
the  troubled  spirits  of  another  world,  the  expres- 
sion of  their  faces  inconceivably  wild,  and  their 
tones  and  gesticulations  far  less  intelligible  than 
those  of  domestic  animals."  * 

To  Admiral  Sir  Jas.  SuUivan,  Mr.  Darwin  often 
expressed  the  conviction  that,  "  to  send  mission- 
aries to  such  a  set  of  savages,  probably  the  very 
lowest  of  the  human  race,  was  utterly  useless." 

Subsequently,  in  1869,  and  still  later,  up  to 
1880,  he  bore  witness  that  the  recent  accounts  of 
the  mission  proved  to  him  that  he  had  been  wrong 
in  his  estimates  of  the  native  character  and  of  the 
possibility  of  doing  them  good  through  the  mis- 
sionaries ;  as  an  expression  and  testimony  of  his 
interest  in  the  Society's  work  he  enclosed  his 
check  for  ^^5.  He  pronounced  the  success  of  the 
mission  so  wonderful  that  only  the  proof  that  it 
was  fact  made  it  to  him  credible.  And  he  says, 
"  I  certainly  should  have  predicted  that  not  all 
the  missionaries  in  the  world  could  have  done 
what  has  been  done."  t 

Similarly  this  same  impartial  unbeliever  records 
his  impressions  of  the  work  at  Tahiti  and  New 
Zealand.  "It  is  admirable  to  behold  what  the 
missionaries  (both  here  and  at  New  Zealand)  have 

*  Life  of  Darwin,  i.,  227.  \  Idem  ii,  307,  308. 


276  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

effected ;  I  firmly  believe  they  are  good  men  work- 
ing for  the  sake  of  a  good  cause.  I  much  suspect 
that  those  who  have  abused  or  sneered  at  them 
have  generally  been  such  as  were  not  very  anxious 
to  find  the  natives  moral  and  inteUigible  beings. 
They  forget,  or  will  not  remember,  that  human 
sacrifice  and  the  power  of  an  idolatrous  priesthood  ; 
a  system  of  profligacy  unparalleled  in  any  other 
part  of  the  world ;  infanticide,  a  consequence  of 
that  system ;  bloody  wars,  where  the  conquerors 
spared  neither  women  nor  children ;  that  all  these 
things  have  been  abolished ;  and  that  dishonesty, 
intemperance,  and  licentiousness  have  been  greatly 
reduced  by  the  introduction  of  Christianity.  In 
a  voyager  to  forget  these  things  is  a  base  ingrati- 
tude ;  for,  should  he  chance  to  be  at  the  point  of 
shipwreck  on  some  unknown  coast,  he  will  most 
devoutly  pray  that  the  lesson  of  the  missionary 
may  have  extended  thus  far."  "  The  lesson  of 
the  missionary  is  the  enchanter's  wand." 

After  Rev.  WiUiam  Robertson,  of  Edinburgh, 
had  made  an  address  on  missions,  a  man  accost- 
ing him  said,  "  I  was  captain  of  the  Ruby,  that 
bore  Bishop  Sterling  to  Tierra  del  Fuego,  and  it 
was  Bishop  Sterhng's  reports  of  the  work  there 
that  made  Charles  Darwin  a  convert  to  missions. 
There,  where  Allen  Gardiner  found  the  most  de- 
based savages,  a  society  is  now  organized  to 
rescue  shipwrecked  mariners." 

We  reluctantly  bring  to  a  close  this  brief  survey 


THE  FRUIT  OF  MISSIOiVS.  277 

of  the  fruits  of  missions.  Where  the  field  is  the 
world,  it  is  impossible  to  bring  even  one  blade 
from  all  its  various  harvests  to  show  a  specimen 
of  what  the  seed  of  the  kingdom  yields.  We  have 
culled  here  and  there  what  suffices  to  exhibit  the 
proofs  that  in  no  part  of  the  world  have  such  fruits 
been  lacking  as  prove  that  it  is  God's  husbandry. 
In  the  islands  of  the  sea,  the  Fiji  and  Hawaiian 
groups,  Tahiti,  Aneityum,  and  in  the  South  Seas 
generally ;  in  the  most  ancient  and  colossal  king- 
doms, like  Turkey,  China,  and  India,  where  the 
most  gigantic  and  stubborn  growths  of  evil  were 
found,  and  deep-rooted  as  the  ages  could  make 
them  ;  where  an  iron  caste  system  and  the  imprison- 
ing law  of  zenana  life  and  harem  seclusion  made 
all  work  seemingly  fruitless ;  again,  among  com- 
paratively degraded  and  low  caste  tribes  and  peo- 
ples, like  the  Siamese,  Burmese,  and  Karens ;  even 
where  the  "  habitations  of  cruelty "  seemed  to 
have  their  stronghold,  as  in  Malabar  and  Calabar ; 
where  the  people  seemed,  as  Charles  Kingsley 
thought,  meant  to  show  that  it  was  possible  to 
sink  too  low  for  even  the  Gospel  to  reach  them, 
like  the  Austrahan  aborigines,  or  the  Maoris  of 
New  Zealand,  or  the  Fuegians  ;  everywhere,  among 
high  and  low,  the  Gospel  has  been  the  same  power 
and  wisdom  of  God  to  salvation. 

And  now  what  is  the  grand  conclusion  ?  God 
has  not  only  fulfilled  His  promise  to  His  mission- 
ary band,  but  His  royal  challenge  is,  in  the  very 


278  THE   DIVINE  ENTERPRISE, 

successes  of  a  century,  thundering  in  our  ears : 
"  Go  ye  into  all  the  world — preach  the  Gospel  to 
every  creature  " — in  every  part  of  the  field  which 
is  the  world  sow  the  good  seed  of  the  kingdom. 
And  the  fruit  of  the  handful  of  grain  shall  yet 
shake  hke  the  forests  of  Lebanon. 


VII. 

THE   DIVINE   CHALLENGE   OF   MISSIONS. 

JMONG  the  attractions  of  the  famous 
museum  at  Marseilles,  the  foremost  is 
the  great  painting  by  Auguste  Barthe- 
lemy  Glaize,  of  Montpellier,  which  is  known  as 
Le  Pilori.  It  fills  the  entire  end  of  the  saloon, 
and  is  one  of  the  most  suggestive  paintings  in  all 
France.  Theophilus  Gautier  has  described  it  in 
language  scarcely  less  artistic  than  the  picture. 

Occupying  the  central  place  in  this  group,  is  the 
figure  of  the  Saviour,  in  whose  stead  Barrabas  was 
preferred ;  Jesus,  who  w^as  scourged,  bound  to  a 
pillar,  spit  upon,  crowmed  with  thorns,  and  hung 
upon  the  cross  of  slaves.  Behind  Him  an  angel 
unrolls  a  little  scroll,  on  which  we  read :  "  Father 
forgive  them ;  for  they  know  not  what  they  do." 

At  the  bottom  of  the  scaffold  are  four  huge 
allegorical  figures,  symbohzing  Misery,  Igfiorafice, 
Violence,  and  Hypocrisy.  These  figures,  placed 
back  to  back,  and  arranged  in  two  groups  hke 
those  of  the  tombs  of  the  Medici,  are  a  monu- 
mental and  Michael- Angelesque  combination  of 
sculpture-like  forms. 


2«o  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

Misery  is  a  dismal  looking  female,  wrinkled  and 
ghastly,  from  whose  dry  breast  an  infant  is  vainly 
seeking  to  suck  nourishment.  Ignorance  sinks 
beneath  his  flabby  flesh  in  a  careless  attitude,  and 
makes  to  appear  conspicuous  his  shallow  skull 
crowned  with  hairy  ass's  ears,  hke  the  head  of 
King  Midas  or  of  Bottom.  Violence  swells  his 
bloated  muscles,  contracts  his  knotted  sinews, 
arches  his  athletic  back,  with  the  stolid  indiffer- 
ence of  a  murderer  or  hangman.  The  neck  of  a 
bull  joins  his  huge  shoulders  to  a  bestial  head 
which  lacks  brain.  Hypocrisy  holds  a  painted 
mask,  with  which  to  conceal  at  will  her  livid  vis- 
age, and  the  feet,  which  fold  beneath  her,  end  in 
the  claws  of  a  demon.  These  four  monsters,  are 
they  not  the  persecutors  of  these  great  men,  and 
is  not  their  proper  place  at  the  base  of  the  pillory  ? 

We  see  standing  on  the  right  of  the  central 
figure,  Christ,  Socrates  holding  the  cup  of  hemlock 
and  pointing  heavenward ;  beyond  him  ^sop  the 
fabulist,  who  was  made  a  slave,  and  hurled  from 
the  rock,  Hyampea,  by  the  angry  Delphian  priests, 
in  spite  of  the  divine  wisdom  that  dwelt  in  his 
distorted  frame ;  still  further  on,  the  beautiful  and 
learned  Hypatia,  whom  fanatical  ecclesiastics,  be- 
coming in  their  turn  persecutors,  dragged  from 
her  chariot,  tore  in  pieces,  and  whose  palpitating 
members  were  drawn  through  the  streets  of  Alex- 
andria and  burned.  Beyond  her,  Kepler,  who 
discovered  the  laws  of  the  celestial  mechanism, 


THE  CHALLENGE  OF  MISSIONS.       281 

and  died  unable  to  procure  from  the  imperial  as- 
sembly his  arrears  of  8,000  crowns ;  Galileo, 
recanting  in  presence  of  the  Inquisition,  and  whis- 
pering the  famous  words,  ''E  pur  si  muove." 
There  is  Bernard  de  Palissy,  the  maker  of  the 
king's  rustique  pottery,  and  the  predecessor  of 
Cuvier,  burning  all  his  furniture  for  lack  of  wood 
for  his  furnace  ;  Correggio,  selling  his  painting  for 
sixty  crowns  and  succumbing  beneath  the  heavy 
sack  in  which  he  bore  the  copper  coins  received 
in  payment. 

At  the  left  of  the  Saviour  stands  Homer,  whom 
seven  cities  claimed  after  he  was  dead,  but  who, 
during  hfe,  poor,  blind,  wandered  about,  his  lyre 
hung  about  his  neck,  chanting  his  immortal  poems 
to  obtain  a  meagre  alms ;  Dante,  the  exile,  out- 
lawed, showing  to  mankind  the  golden  ladder  to 
Paradise,  and  then  mounting  the  staircase  of  a 
stranger  at  Verona.*  Cervantes  is  further  on,  the 
illustrious  cripple  who  was  maimed  at  Lepanto's 
battle,  the  "  Captive  "  of  Algerine  Corsairs,  sad, 
imprisoned  for  debt,  burdened  with  infirmities, 
and  buried  in  the  convent  of  the  nuns  of  Trinity 
without  any  tombstone  until  1835,  ri'^ore  than  200 
years  afterward,  forgotten  even  by  his  own  coun- 
trymen. Joan  of  Arc,  whom  the  funeral  pyre  of 
Rouen  recompensed  for  the  heroism  that  made 
her  the  savior  of  France ;   Christopher  Columbus, 

*  A  reference  to  Can  Grande  della  scala,  with  whom 
he  took  refuge  at  Verona,  1313-1318. 


282  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

receiving  fetters  as  the  price  of  unveiling  the  New 
World ;  Salomon  de  Caus,  locked  up  in  the  insane 
hospital  of  Bicetre,  and  with  the  grimace  of  a  fool, 
showing  the  first  outlines  of  the  steam-engine  of 
which  Arago  counted  him  the  true  inventor; 
Denis  P.apin,  the  physicist  and  machinist,  forerun- 
ner of  James  Watt  and  Fulton,  in  a  moment  of 
despair  breaking  the  model  of  the  paddle-steamer 
which  he  had  invented ;  Etienne  Dolet,  the  free- 
thinker, hung  and  burned  in  Paris  in  1546,  who, 
marching  to  his  death,  and  seeing  the  impatient 
multitude  clamoring  for  his  torture  exclaimed : 
'^  Non  dolet  ipse  dolet ^  sed pia  tiirha  dolet."  * 

The  picture  bears  at  the  extreme  right-hand 
corner  the  name,  Glaize,  with  the  date,  1855. 
And  beneath  is  the  inscription,  fit  companion  to 
such  a  work  of  art : 

They  are  persecuted ; 
They  are  hidden  in  oblivion ; 
Until,  after  a  long  time  elapses, 
They  have  a  monument,  inscribed  ; 

"To  THE  GLORY  OF  THE  HUMAN  RACE." 

*The  critics  and  deriders  of  missions  have  often 
attempted  to  make  out  Christian  missions  a  failure, 
but  they  have  succeeded  only  in  making  themselves 
appear  ridiculous ;  and  those  whom  they  have  put 
in  the  pillory  of  their  derision  are  now  beginning 
to  be  recognized  as  the  heroes  of  the  human  race, 

*  It  is  not  himself  whom  Dolet  bewails. 
But  the  pious  mob  that  seeks  his  blood. 


THE    CHALLENGE  OE  MLSSLONS,       283 

and  the  far-seeing  sages  who  beheld  the  true 
future  which  is  to  dawn  on  the  world.  The  story 
of  the  successes  of  Christian  missions  is  from 
many  witnesses,  and  their  testimony  is  unimpeach- 
able. However  ''limited  their  knowledge,  it 
cannot  be  set  aside  on  account  of  the  ignorance 
of  others,  however  extensive." 

The  contest  between  Christianity  and  paganism 
has  been  waged  with  all  the  advantage  on  the  side 
of  the  powers  of  darkness.  And  yet, — notwith- 
standing we  have  sent  out  less  than  six  thousand 
men  and  women  to  meet  a  thousand  millions  ;  not- 
withstanding the  little  band  have  to  master  foreign 
tongues,  and  often  create  a  hterature  in  those 
tongues ;  have  to  overcome  difficulties  of  cHmate, 
caste,  customs,  superstition,  bigotry,  depravity ; 
have  had  even  to  face  death  by  martyrdom  for 
the  truth's  sake ;  notwithstanding  it  was  less  than 
one  hundred  years  ago  that  the  Church  of  Christ 
began  the  organized  movement  in  this  direction, 
and  has  never  given  over  ten  or  eleven  millions 
of  dollars  a  year  even  in  these  days  of  ample  re- 
sources,— there  is  scarce  a  land  into  which  the 
missionary  has  not  gone ;  and,  wherever  he  has 
gone  he  has  planted  the  cross,  and  about  it  the 
Christian  home,  school,  church,  college,  theolog- 
ical seminary,  printing-press,  hospital,  dispensary, 
and  every  characteristic  institution  of  Christian 
lands.  The  work  of  modern  missions,  begun  a 
hundred  years  ago   amid  innumerable  obstacles 


284  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE, 

and  discouragements — the  very  leaders  in  this 
grand  enterprise  being  put  in  the  pillory  as  the 
objects  of  derision,  scorn,  and  ridicule — that  work 
has  compelled  from  all  intelligent  and  impartial 
observers  the  candid  confession  that,  for  the  men 
and  means  invested,  no  success  has  ever  been  so 
great ! 

The  Reformation  period  was  a  sort  of  signal 
gun  in  modern  history  ;  and,  if  ever  God  unfolded 
a  purpose  of  His  own  to  men.  He  did  it  then. 
He  sounded  the  signal  for  a  rapid  advance  all 
along  the  lines. 

Dr.  Croly,*  in  an  admirable  sermon,  preached 
in  St.  Paul's,  before  the  Bishop  of  London,  nearly 
a  half  century  ago,  called  the  Reformation  the 
''  third  g7'eat  Birth  of  Tijne.'"  There  was  a  won- 
derful conjuncture  of  events  and  inventions,  all  in- 
dicating the  opening  of  a  new  era  of  world-wide 
evangelism.  The  magnet,  guiding  all  vessels  over 
hitherto  untraversed  seas,  opened  the  whole  world 
to  commercial  intercourse.  Then  the  steam- 
engine  became  the  great  motor,  propelling  vessels 
on  the  sea  and  carriages  on  the  land,  and  shorten- 
ing time  of  transit,  so  that  where  Ziegenbalg  took 
seven  months  to  reach  Zanguebar,  and  Carey  five 
months  to  reach  Calcutta,  we  can  go  in  three 
weeks.  Then  came  the  printing-press,  which 
threw  open  the  mind  of  the  world  to  European 
literature,  as  the  mariner's  compass  and  the  steam- 
*  Exeter  Hall  Lectures,  1846-7. 


THE  CHALLENGE  OF  MISSIONS.       285 

engine  had  thrown  open  the  gates  of  empires 
and  the  ports  of  the  sea !  And  now,  while 
these  three  greatest  inventions  or  discoveries  of 
modern  ages  afforded  all  these  facilities  for  mis- 
sions, behold  three  of  the  miracles  of  history 
standing  side  by  side,  in  their  combination  and 
culmination  more  wonderful  than  in  their  succes- 
sion and  accumulation.  In  the  midst  of  this  period 
comes  the  Fall  of  Constantinople,  i543-  The 
storming  of  the  Turks  humbled  the  Queen  City 
of  the  Golden  Horn,  but  scattered  Greek  learning 
through  the  West.  Then  followed  the  passage  to 
India,  the  solution  of  that  problem  of  ages  which 
was  to  find  afterward  a  happier  solution  by  the 
Isthmus  than  by  the  Cape,  and  all  the  quickening 
of  opulent  commerce  was  added  to  the  contact  of 
remote  nations.  Britain  and  India,  the  very 
centres  of  European  and  Asiatic  civilization,  were 
brought  together,  and  permanently  hnked.  And 
at  the  same  great  signal  hour  of  history  the  cur- 
tain rose  that  unveiled  a  New  World.  God  gave 
mankind  a  new  hemisphere  in  which  to  exercise 
all  the  accumulated  power  of  five  thousand  years 
— a  new  treasury  of  wealth,  a  new  granary  of 
food,  a  new  arena  of  civilization  and  Christianity. 
'*  Never  before  was  there  such  a  series  of  briUiant 
excitements  heaped  upon  the  human  race."  All 
society  felt  the  thrill,  and  the  amazing  combina- 
tion of  events  dazed  the  very  eyes  that  beheld 
them.     Constantinople   fell   in    1453,   Vasco    de 


286  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

Gama  turned  the  Cape  of  Storms  into  the  Cape 
of  Good  Hope  in  1497,  and  Columbus  touched 
the  shores  of  the  West  Indies  in  1492.  These 
three  events  thus  occurred  within  less  than  half  a 
century ! 

The  mariners'  compass  appears  to  have  come 
into  general  use  about  1400  ;  the  first  book  printed 
with  movable  types  was  brought  out  by  Gutenburg 
about  1450,  and  the  steam-engine  seems  to  have 
begun  to  attain  to  practicable  form  under  Blasco 
de  Jaray  in  1543.  And  now  let  us  remember 
that  just  at  this  time,  and  in  the  very  centre  of 
this  brilliance,  Luther  nails  up  his  theses.  Scarce 
twenty  years  before  America  was  discovered, 
Luther  preached  his  first  sermon  at  Wittemberg ; 
and,  scarce  twenty  years  after  he  startled  all  Europe 
by  his  beating  a  hole  in  Tetzel's  drum,  the  Bar- 
celona engineer  is  said  to  have  propelled  a  vessel 
by  a  water  boiler.* 

Thus  the  Church,  after  a  sleep  of  a  thousand 
years,  awoke  once  more  to  the  sense  of  duty  and 
debt  to  the  lost  race  of  man.  If  there  be  a  divine 
providence — if  the  end  of  all  history  is  Redemp- 
tion, and  the  goal  of  all  redeemed  life  is  the  restora- 
tion of  man  to  the  image  of  God, — we  should 
expect  to  see  the  most  wonderful  developments  of 
history  side  by  side  with  these  awakenings  in  the 
Chiu-ch.  We  should  look  to  see  at  least  three  de- 
velopments :   first,  the  wide  opening  of  doors ^  mak- 

*  Appleton's  Encyclopedia. 


THE  CHALLENGE  OF  MISSIONS.       287 

ing  the  whole  world  accessible ;  secondly,  the 
provision  of  new  and  more  perfect  facilities  for  uni- 
versal contact  and  communication;  thirdly,  the 
7nore  thorough  organizing  of  the  Church  itself  for 
the  work.  The  first  is  a  question  of  opportunity^ 
the  second  of  equipment,  and  the  third  of  activity 
and  advance.  What  are  the  facts  ?  Precisely  in 
the  line  of  these  expectations  have  come  the  inter- 
positions of  God,  only,  as  usual,  when  He  does 
anything,  it  was  on  a  scale  of  majesty,  might,  and 
overwhelming  grandeur,  the  like  of  which  man 
never  saw,  exceeding  abundantly  above  all  we 
could  ask  or  think.  Let  us  stop  in  our  hurry  and 
cast  a  backward  look. 

Some  of  our  readers  may  have  thought  it  extrav- 
agant language  to  affirm  that  the  modem  age, 
hke  the  Apostolic,  has  abounded  in  the  supernat- 
ural. But  the  marvellous  developments  and  coin- 
cidences of  history  in  the  world  and  the  Church 
admit  no  explanation  without  God.  The  unde- 
vout  historian,  Hke  the  undevout  astronomer, 
must  be  mad,  if  he  is  not  overwhelmed  by  these 
miracles  of  intervention. 

Another  wonderful  age  has  come  to  us  ;  may  we 
not  call  it  the  Fourth  birth-hour  of  human  history  ? 
Gladstone  says  that  the  first  fifty  years  of  this  cen- 
tury marked  more  progress  than  the  previous  five 
thousand,  in  art,  science,  invention,  and  discovery  ; 
the  next  twenty-five,  more  than  the  previous  fifty ; 
and  the  next  ten,  more  than  the  previous  twenty-five. 


288  THE   DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

Probably  the  statement  is  not  an  exaggeration. 
God  never  sounded  a  louder  signal-gun  than  now, 
and  no  combination  of  events  ever  startled  the 
attentive  observer  like  the  present.  William  Carey 
led  the  way  in  the  organization  of  the  Church  for 
modern  missions  in  1792.  In  rapid  succession 
followed  the  organization  of  the  great  missionary 
societies  and  the  sending  forth  of  missionaries, 
until  now  between  two  hundred  and  three  hundred 
societies  are  represented  by  6,000  laborers. 

At  this  present  time,  we  seem  to  have  reached 
not  only  a  crisis,  but  the  crisis  of  missions.  The 
whole  world  is  open  to  missionary  labor,  but  there 
are  not  enough  workmen  to  occupy  the  field ;  and 
again  there  are  many  workmen  offering  to  go  to 
the  field,  and  there  are  not  enough  means  at  our 
disposal  to  secure  them  a  support  in  the  field. 
And,  still  worse,  the  missionary  boards  of  most 
of  our  Churches  are  so  crippled  by  debt  or  by 
insufficient  funds,  that,  at  a  time  when  every  voice 
of  God  or  need  of  man  cries  ''  Expand "  and 
"  Advance,"  the  only  course  apparently  open  to  us 
is  to  contract  the  work  and  retrench  the  costs  ! 

Nothing  is  more  calculated  to  awaken  surprise 
than  to  see  how  mistaken  and  short-sighted  are 
the  views  of  many  inteUigent  members,  and  even 
ministers  of  the  Church,  as  to  the  existing  crisis. 

For  example,  it  appears  to  occasion  alarm  and 
awaken  hostile  criticism.  It  is  said,  there  is  some- 
thing wrong  in  the  Church's  work  when  its  de- 


THE  CHALLENGE  OF  MISSIONS.      289 

mands  exceed  the  supply ;  that  our  Boards  ought 
to  lay  out  no  more  expenditure  than  the  receipts 
warrant — that  the  work  should  be  cut  down  to 
meet  the  income,  etc.  One  would  suppose  that 
the  present  aspect  of  missions  is  one  of  dishearten- 
ing failure,  and  that  those  who  have  charge  of 
our  missions  are  seriously  to  blame  for  allowing 
the  demand  for  men  and  money  to  be  so  impera- 
tive, and  increase  so  fast.  But  let  thoughtful  men 
and  women  reflect,  whether  this  is  not  an  entire  mis- 
apprehension of  the  existing  state  of  things.  Like 
Elisha's  servant,  we  need  our  eyes  opened  to  see 
that,  where  some  behold  only  cause  for  discourage- 
ment, God  means  an  incentive  to  joy  and  praise. 
Such  a  crisis  in  missions  is  sign  and  proof  not 
of  failure,  but  of  success.  Our  keynote  should  not 
be  set  to  the  minor  strain  of  despondency,  but 
the  major  key  of  thankfulness.  All  this  means 
growth,  and  growth  always  brings  a  demand  for 
new  conditions,  provisions,  accommodations.  The 
growing  plant  must  have  more  space,  more  room 
to  grow ;  the  old  pot  must  be  discarded  for  a  new 
and  more  spacious  one.  The  growing  boy  must 
have  new  clothes ;  he  cannot  wear  the  same  suit 
that  he  wore  a  year  ago ;  the  cripple  who  has  no 
growth,  and  perhaps  cannot  move  a  foot  or  lift  a 
hand,  may  wear  one  suit  for  years  ;  but  not  so  the 
stalwart,  growing  lad.  Who  finds  fault  with  these 
demands  of  growth!  and  who  would  exchange 
such  a  healthy  boy  for  a  cripple  ? 


290  THE   DIVTNK  KNTRRPRISE, 

'I'he  growing  family  must  liavc  a  larger  house, 
a  more  ample  board.  A  growing  business  needs 
new  shops  and  factories,  a  larger  stock  and  heavier 
outlay :  no  merchant  complains  when,  because  he 
has  double  the  custom,  there  must  be  more  care 
and  cost,  and  more  clerks  and  goods. 

Now,  how  comes  it  to  pass  that,  when  the  work 
of  llic  Lord  outgrows  all  past  provision  for  its 
suc(X'ssful  prosecution ;  when  its  very  successes 
call  for  more  room  to  grow,  more  men  and  money, 
more  churches  and  schools  and  colleges,  more 
preaching  stations  and  evangelists,  more  books 
and  l>il)lcs,  more  medical  missions ;  and,  in  a 
word,  more  of  everything  that  goes  to  supply  the 
wants  of  an  awakening  community,  we  should 
1)egin  to  be  heavy-hearted  because  what  was  in- 
adequate ten  years  ago  is  absolutely  and  hopelessly 
imcqual  to  the  demand  to-day  !  This  is  certainly 
a  paradox  and  anomaly.  There  is  but  one  place 
where  there  is  no  new  necessity  created  by  growth  ; 
and  that  is  where  there  is  no  longer  hfe.  In  a 
sepulchre  or  a  cemetery,  death  is  regnant.  A 
mummy  wears  the  same  wrai)pings  as  when,  3,000 
years  ago,  it  was  embalmed.  lUit  T.azarus,  when 
loosed  from  the  sepulchre,  left  his  grave  clothes 
behind  him,  and  it  was  the  price  of  his  resuscita- 
tion that  he  must  henceforth  have  food  and  rai- 
ment. L'ife  is  costly,  and  growth  adds  to  the  cost 
even  of  life.  And,  because  the  work  of  missions 
is  a  growing  child  yet  in  its  infancy,  and  not  a 


TJIE  CHALLEXCE  OF  MfSSlOXS,       291 

cripple  witliout  a  future ;  because  it  is  a  living 
form  and  not  a  mummy,  the  conditions  change 
and  the  demands  increase  every  day. 

This  crisis  of  missions  is  in  fact  an  answer  to 
prayer.  Jt  is  not  one  hundred  years  ago  since 
the  whole  world  stood  over  against  the  Church, 
like  a  gigantic  fortress  with  double-barred  gates 
of  steel.  Devout  disciples  who,  like  Simeon, 
lt)oked  and  waited  for  the  Kingdom  of  God,  were 
earnestly  beseeching  God  that  the  doors  of  the 
nations  might  be  opened  and  the  way  be  prepared 
for  the  Church  to  carry  out  her  great  commission. 
It  was  because  God  heard  that  strong  crying, 
and  so  marvellously  answered,  that,  within  the  past 
fifty  years,  pagan,  papal,  and  heathen  territory 
which  a  century  ago  defied  the  approach  of  Prot- 
estant missionaries  with  an  open  Bible  and  a  jiure 
(iospel,  now  admits,  if  it  does  not  welcome,  the 
message  of  life. 

So  rare  and  exceptional  is  it  that  any  nation 
like  Thibet  should  yet  lock  itself  in  hermit  seclu- 
sion, that  we  may  now  .say,  with  almost  literal 
truth,  that  the  whole  world  is  now  accessible,  and 
that  the  Gospel  herald  may  go  where  he  will.  A 
great  door  and  an  effectual  is  opened,  though 
there  are  many  adversaries ;  and  that  door  opens 
upon  a  domain  that  is  world-wide. 

No  student  of  political  history  needs  to  be  told 
that  changes  in  the  attitude  of  governments 
toward  questions  involving  pojjular  customs  and 


^92  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

religious  faith  are  effected  very  slowly.  Centuries 
are  the  hours  upon  the  dial  of  national  life.  To 
move  a  whole  people  is  a  process  that  often  re- 
quires the  leverage  of  ages,  so  that  we  have  been 
wont  to  think  of  Oriental  peoples  as  petrified  in 
their  immobiHty. 

The  rapidity  with  which  these  doors  of  access 
were  thrown  open,  the  keys  whereby  they  were 
unlocked,  the  singular  preparation  for  the  entrance 
of  the  Gospel  which  they  revealed,  the  fitness  and 
fulness  of  times  which  marked  these  new  and  start- 
ling developments,  have  impressed  the  writer's 
mind  as  nothing  else  ever  has,  in  a  life  largely 
given  to  historic  studies. 

One  example  might  be  cited  in  detail,  as  an 
illustration.  The  year  1858  is  the  "Annus  mirabi- 
hs  "  of  modern  missions.  Probably  no  one  year 
in  human  history  has  been  marked  by  changes 
more  stupendous  and  momentous,  as  affecting  the 
evangehzation  of  the  world ;  and  it  is  the  more 
appropriate  that  it  here  have  due  emphasis,  inas- 
much as,  so  far  as  he  is  aware,  the  writer  has  been 
the  first  to  set  in  array  the  wondrous  events  that 
marked  that  pivotal  year  of  missions. 

First  of  all,  the  winter  preceding  had  been  dis- 
tinguished by  one  of  the  most  remarkable  outpour- 
ings of  the  Spirit  known  in  modern  times.  In  all 
parts  of  Christendom  there  was  an  alm.ost  simul- 
taneous blessing,  which  suggested  a  gigantic  tidal- 
wave  that  moves  from  equator  to  pole,  that  washes 


THE  CHALLENGE  OF  MISSIONS.      293 

with  its  giant  swell  the  coasts  that  border  the 
ocean's  bed,  all  along  the  shores  of  vast  conti- 
nents, and  sweeps  over  those  continents  themselves. 
Churches  in  every  part  of  the  world  were  quick- 
ened into  new  life;  converts  sprang  up  like 
willows  along  the  water-courses;  hundreds  of 
thousands  were  gathered  into  the  Churches,  and 
to  this  day  the  grand  results  are  visible. 

One  special  result  of  the  revivals  of  that  autumn 
and  winter  of  1857-8  was  a  new  spirit  of  prayer 
for  7Tiissio7is.  As  yet  a  large  portion  of  the  earth's 
vast  population  was  shut  out  from  Christian  labor, 
and  the  awakened  Church  besought  God  to  make 
bare  His  mighty  arm  and  burst  open  the  barred 
gates,  that  all  the  ends  of  the  earth  might  see  the 
salvation  of  our  God. 

Behold  the  marvellous  and  majestic  move- 
ments of  a  prayer-hearing  God !  Great  Britain 
approaches  Japan,  which,  from  1640  to  1854,  had 
closed  her  ports  even  to  the  commerce  of  Christian 
nations.  The  Earl  of  Elgin,  on  August  26,  1858, 
concluded  that  new  Treaty  which  broke  down  the 
barriers  of  two  centuries  between  the  Sunrise 
Kingdom  and  the  foremost  Protestant  nation  of 
Europe.  About  the  time  of  the  conclusion  of  this 
treaty,  the  reigning  Tycoon  died,  and  left  the 
throne  to  his  son,  the  present  emperor,  a  young 
man  of  great  intelligence  and  singularly  liberal 
sentiments  touching  both  commerce  and  pohtics. 
Here,  by  one  master-stroke,  the  Island  Empire, 


294  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

with  nearly  40,000,000,  became  accessible  to 
British  ships  and  the  Gospel  loved  by  British 
Christians,  while  at  the  same  time  governmental 
changes  took  place  which  doubly  assured  progress. 
What  was  the  consequence  ?  No  nation  has,  for 
eighteen  centuries,  moved  at  such  a  pace  toward 
Christianity.  Ten  years  later,  a  vast  number  of 
Buddhist  temples  were  confiscated  for  pubhc  uses, 
chiefly  educational,  and  the  Mikado  pledged  him- 
self to  promote  complete  rehgious  toleration. 
How  well  he  kept  his  word  will  appear  from  the 
decree  of  July  11,  1884,  that  thenceforth  there 
should  be  no  official  priesthood,  and  that  all  re- 
hgions,  Shintoism,  Buddhism,  and  Christianity 
alike,  should  be  impartially  protected  and  occupy 
the  same  platform  of  legal  equality  !  Four  years 
later  there  were  reported  28,000  church  communi- 
cants in  the  Reformed  or  Protestant  churches,  and 
church  buildings,  Christian  schools,  theological 
seminaries.  Young  Men's  Christian  Associations, 
rehgious  newspapers,  and  all  the  distinctive  feat- 
ures of  a  Christian  community,  were  to  be  found. 
With  a  swiftness  that  reminds  us  of  the  rapidity 
with  which  dawn  advances  to  full  day,  this  empire 
has  earned  its  right  to  its  proud  title — that  of  "  the 
Rismg  Siiny  Where  in  1853  there  was  only  an 
impenetrable  wall  of-  exclusion,  we  have  now,  less 
than  forty  years  later,  a  whole  land  penetrated  and 
permeated  by  occidental  influence. 

During   that   same   memorable  year,   changes 


THE  CHALLENGE  OE  MISSIONS.       295 

almost  as  great  took  place  in  China.  We  have 
seen  what  occurred  in  Japan,  August  26.  The 
day  previous,  the  Atlantic  Cable  flashed  across  the 
Atlantic  its  first  news  dispatch  that,  after  nearly  a 
year  of  war,  peace  had  been  concluded  between 
the  allied  forces  and  the  Middle  Kingdom.  The 
famous  Treaty  of  Tientsin,  signed  June  26,  en- 
larged the  provisions  of  the  Treaty  of  Nankin,  of 
1842,  which  opened  five  ports  to  foreign  trade. 
British  subjects  are  henceforth  allowed  to  travel 
for  business  or  pleasure  to  all  parts  of  the  interior,* 
under  passports  issued  by  their  Consul ;  and,  what 
is  most  significant,  the  Christian  religion  is  to  be 
protected  by  Chinese  authorities.f  The  language 
is  as  follows  :  "  The  Christian  religion,  as  professed 
by  Protestants  and  Roman  Catholics,  inculcates 
the  practice  of  virtue  and  teaches  man  to  do  as 
he  would  be  done  by.  Persons  teaching  or  pro- 
fessing it,  therefore,  shall  be  alike  entitled  to  the 
protection  of  the  Chinese  authorities ;  nor  shall 
any  such,  peaceably  pursuing  their  calhng  and  not 
offending  against  the  laws,  be  persecuted  or  inter- 
fered with." 

Thus,  to  one  quarter  of  the  population  of  the 
globe,  access  was  given,  in  one  diplomatic  docu- 
ment ;  and  the  Church  of  Christ  may  now  preach 
the  Gospel  through  the  Celestial  Empire.  It  is 
difficult  to  apprehend  or  appreciate  what  such  a 
step  means  :  it  is  not  a  step,  but  a  stride — the  stride 

*  Art.  ix.  f  Art.  viii. 


296  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

of  a  giant  in  seven-league  boots,  from  mountain- 
top  to  mountain-top.  China  is  in  itself  a  world, 
containing  a  population  larger  than  the  whole 
world  at  the  time  of  Christ.  And  yet  in  one  year 
that  world  of  China  was  made  accessible  to 
Christian  missions. 

Let  us  go  still  Westward.  What  is,  during  this 
same  year,  1858,  occurring  in  India,  itself  another 
great  world  of  many  languages  and  peoples  and 
rehgions  ? 

The  mutiny  of  1857,  which,  in  the  opinion  of 
godless  and  greedy  men  who  would  make  money 
out  of  traffic  in  human  bodies  or  souls,  was  to 
rid  India  of  the  saints,  ope?ied  India  to  them.  God 
gave  it  to  such  Christian  heroes  as  Sir  John  Law- 
rence and  Sir  Henry  Havelock  and  Sir  Cohn 
Campbell,  to  save  the  British  army  from  massacre. 
It  was  this  formidable  revolt  of  1857  which  called 
attention  to  the  mismanagment  of  East  Indian 
affairs  by  the  East  India  Company,  whose  powers 
had  gradually  grown,  until,  long  before  its  aboli- 
tion, it  had  become  a  court  from  whose  decisions 
there  was  no  appeal.  And  the  result  of  investiga- 
tion was  that,  not  only  in  this  memorable  year 
1858,  but  in  that  same  month,  August  (2d)  all  the 
territories  previously  under  the  government  of  the 
Company  became  vested  in  the  British  Queen,  and 
Victoria  became  Empress  of  the  Indies.  This 
was  a  change  that  can  be  appreciated  only  by 
those  who  have  studied  minutely  the  history  of 


THE  CHALLENGE  OE  MISSIONS.       297 

the  Company,  which  from  the  year  1600  had 
been  growing  more  and  more  despotic ;  who  re- 
member how,  when  the  devoted  Robert  Haldane, 
in  1796,  sold  his  estate  at  Airthrey  and  proposed 
to  estabhsh  a  new  mission  at  Benares,  the  centre 
of  Brahminical  idolatry,  at  his  own  expense,  the 
Company  defeated  his  scheme,  one  director  re- 
marking that  he  "  would  rather  a  band  of  devils 
than  a  band  of  missionaries  landed  in  India " ; 
who  remember  how  Wm.  Carey  and  Henry  Martyn 
had  encountered  the  bitter  hostility  of  this  same 
East  India  Company,  so  that  the  flag  of  Britain, 
now  the  symbol  of  a  Christian  civilization  and  the 
pledge  of  both  civil  and  religious  liberty  wherever 
it  floats,  was  in  India  the  signal  for  hatred  and 
jealousy  of  mission  work. 

But  now  the  300,000,000  of  India  were  brought 
under  the  sway  of  the  British  sceptre  and  made 
accessible  to  the  mightier  sceptre  of  the  King  of 
kings.  Surely  it  was  a  momentous  epoch  in  his- 
tory which  opened  on  the  day  when  British  courts, 
laws,  and  judges,  churches,  schools,  and  colleges, 
presses,  books,  and  Bibles  had  freedom  to  plant 
over  those  wide  domains  the  institutions  of  a 
Christian  state !  Here  opened  another  world, 
almost  as  large  and  populous  as  China,  and  some 
think  that  an  accurate  census  would  show  India 
to  be  the  more  populous,  as  it  is  undoubtedly  the 
more  important  of  the  two — the  pivot  of  Oriental 
life.     Meanwhile,    in   that    same    India,   another 


298  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

transformation  was  taking  place,  scarcely  less 
important. 

We  all  know  how  heathen  and  pagan  institu- 
tions have  shut  women  out  from  all  contact  even 
with  the  uplifting  influence  of  knowledge.  The 
zenana,  hke  the  harem  and  seraglio,  has  stood 
for  thousands  of  years  as  the  polite  name  for  a 
domestic  and  social  Bastile,  in  which,  without 
cause,  at  the  will  of  a  domestic  despot,  in  India 
alone  one  hundred  millions  of  women  and  girls 
have  been  effectually  imprisoned. 

Now  that  the  zenana  work  has  grown  to  such 
dimensions,  there  are  more  claimants  for  the 
honor  of  its  origination  than  for  the  honor  of 
cradhng  Homer ;  but,  as  near  as  can  be  traced, 
it  was  in  1858  that  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Sale,  of  Hel- 
ensburgh, Scotland,  began  work  in  Calcutta  among 
the  women,  using  needle-work  embroidery  as  the 
key  that  unlocked  these  long-shut  doors.*  From 
that  first  attempt  at  organized  work  among  women 
in  the  zenanas,  the  harvest  has  already  become 
wonderfully  fruitful. 

And  now,  to  the  marvellous  events  already  noted 
which  make  1858  the  Year  of  the  Open  Doors,  we 
must  add  three  more.  In  that  year  the  revolution- 
ary changes  in  Papal  Europe  prepared  the  way 
for  Free  Italy  and  Protestant  missions;  in  that 
same  year  the  revolution  in  Mexico  under  Benito 
Juarez  paved  the  path  of  the  Gospel  in  Central 
*  Miss.  Review^  Ju^y^  1890,  p.  554. 


THE  CHALLENGE  OF  MISSIONS.       299 

America ;  and  in  the  same  year  David  Livingstone 
sailed  a  second  time  for  Africa  to  complete  his 
explorations  and  pioneer  a  road  into  the  interior 
for  the  missionary.  Thus  in  Japan,  China,  India 
and  its  zenanas,  Italy  and  papal  Europe,  Central 
America,  and  even  Africa,  1858  was  the  great 
year  when  doors  were  unlocked  for  the  Gospel. 

Thus,  at  risk  of  tediousness,  we  have  expatiated 
on  the  providential  interventions  in  answer  to 
prayer  which  show  that  the  crisis  in  missions, 
which  is  the  result  and  the  sign  of  growth,  is  also 
the  direct  proof  of  a  prayer-hearing  God.  And 
what  follows?  That  what  appears  to  be  an 
emergency  to  which  we  are  unequal,  is  in  fact  a 
divine  challenge  to  renewed  prayerfulness,  conse- 
cration, dependence  on  God,  and  confidence  and 
courage  such  as  faith  inspires.  Such  crises  have 
occurred  at  various  turning-points  of  Christian 
history;  and  everything  depends  on  how  the 
Church  meets  the  exigency. 

From  the  voluminous  records  of  missions  we 
select  two  representative  instances  of  how  every- 
thing hangs  upon  the  spirit  in  which  critical  and 
pivotal  conditions  are  met  by  the  people  of  God, 
in  hopes  that  we  may  learn  the  lesson  of  the  hour. 

The  only  way  to  meet  such  a  crisis  in  missions 
is  to  appeal  to  God  in  beHeving  prayer,  and  then 
take  new  courage.  Even  discouragements  are 
thus  transformed  into  incentives  and  incitements 
to  duty.     Where  we  have  our  Lord's  plain  com- 


300  THE   DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

mand,  especially  when  backed  by  such  providential 
openings  and  leadings,  the  apparent  hopelessness 
of  our  task  is  only  designed  to  try  our  faith  and 
develop  our  courage. 

First,  we  may  find  a  representative  and  impress- 
ive example  of  this  principle  in  the  story  of  Tahiti. 

The  missionaries  seemed  for  fourteen  years  to 
have  labored  in  vain  and  spent  their  strength  for 
naught.  Their  zeal,  their  toil,  their  long  journeys 
and  faithful  exhortations,  did  not  even  awaken 
interest  or  inquiry  on  the  part  of  the  natives. 
Not  one  instance  of  conversion  had  yet  rewarded 
them.  Not  only  so,  but  the  missionaries,  driven 
away  from  the  island  by  war,  their  houses  burned, 
were  actually  cut  off  from  all  communication  with 
it.  The  first  missionaries  of  the  London  Mission- 
ary Society  had  landed  in  1797,  and  so  many 
years  had  passed  in  fruitless  effort  that,  about  18 13, 
the  directors,  disheartened,  proposed  to  abandon 
the  mission  altogether.  A  few  firm  friends  of  the 
work  resolutely  resisted  all  such  proposals.  Dr. 
Haweis,  for  example,  added  to  his  former  dona- 
tions another  of  two  hundred  pounds,  and  pressed 
the  society  to  new  efforts  and  more  earnest 
prayers.  Rev.  Matthew  Wilks,  John  Williams' 
pastor,  joined  with  Dr.  Haweis  in  remonstrance 
against  such  unbehef  and  abandonment  of  the 
Lord's  work,  and  with  his  pecuhar  vehemence 
said,  "  I  will  sell  the  garments  from  my  back  be- 
fore I  will  consent  to  give  up  this  mission,"  and 


THE  CHALLENGE  OF  MISSIONS.       301 

instead,  proposed  that  a  special  season  of  prayer 
for  the  mission  be  observed.  The  suggestion  was 
accepted,  and  in  place  of  letters  of  recall,  let- 
ters of  encouragement  and  hopefulness  were  de- 
spatched to  the  discouraged  laborers  in  the  South 
Seas. 

Thus  they  vanquished  Satan  by  the  shield  of 
faith  and  the  rod  of  prayer.  Nothing  in  human 
history  is  more  remarkable  as  a  proof  of  a  prayer- 
hearing  God  than  the  events  which  now  trans- 
pired. The  vessel  which  bore  from  England  to 
Tahiti  these  letters  of  inspiration  and  encourage- 
ment crossed  in  her  passage  another  ship  from 
Tahiti,  bearing  letters  from  the  missionaries,  an- 
nouncing the  entire  overthrow  of  idolatry,  and 
bearing  Hkewise  the  rejected  idols  of  the  people 
brought  by  them  to  the  missionaries  and  by  them 
sent  to  London,  where  they  now  stand  in  the 
museum  of  the  society.  God  had  literally  fulfilled 
His  word :  "  Before  they  call  I  will  answer,  and 
while  they  are  yet  speaking  I  will  hear." 

His  set  time  to  favor  the  work  had  fully  come, 
and  He  chose  a  way  to  do  it  which  would  both 
glorify  Himself  and  stimulate  confidence  in  prayer. 
The  missionaries  had  been  compelled  to  seek  refuge 
in  the  New  South  Wales,  and  Mr.  Nott,  at  Eimeo. 
Reports  suddenly  reached  Mr.  Nott,  and  others 
who,  in  1 8 1 1 ,  had  returned  to  Eimeo,  that  remark- 
able changes  were  in  progress  at  Tahiti.  Messrs. 
Scott  and  Hay  ward,  by  request,  went  to  the  island, 


302  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

and  to  their  astonishment  found  praying  men 
there,  and  two  of  them,  Oito  and  Tuahine,  the 
first  natives  that  had  ever  prayed  to  the  true  God, 
returned  with  them  to  Eimeo,  where  the  first  great 
meeting  was  held  in  1813. 

It  appeared  that  these  two  natives,  formerly 
servants  in  the  famiHes  of  the  missionaries,  had, 
unknown  to  them,  received  impressions  which  led 
them  to  pray  to  God  after  the  expulsion  of  the 
missionaries ;  so  that  on  the  return  of  the  latter 
they  unexpectedly  found  a  people  prepared  of  the 
Lord.  From  this  time  one  unbroken  series  of  suc- 
cesses followed,  in  fact  attended,  the  labors  of  the 
missionaries,  so  that  island  after  island  and  group 
after  group  received  the  Gospel  with  a  rapidity 
unknown  before  or  since.* 

Another  conspicuous  example  may  be  chosen 
from  the  later  annals  of  missionary  enterprise. 

Ongole,  about  200  miles  north  of  Madras,  has 
been  the  scene  of  an  in-gathering  which  perhaps 
exceeds  any  other  ever  known  for  the  display  of 
God's  power.  In  the  close  of  1853  and  the  be- 
ginning of  1854,  Dr.  Lyman  Jewett,  a  missionary 
from  Nellore,  still  living  at  Madras  and  connected 
with  the  American  Baptists,  was  touring  in  this 
desolate  though  densely  populated  district,  and 
upon  the  summit  of  a  mountain  near  Ongole  he 
prayed  God  to  send  a  missionary  there.     But  let 

*  "  Missionary  Enterprises  in  the  South  Seas,"  John 
Williams. 


THE  CHALLENGE  OF  MLSSIONS.       Z^Z 

us  enter  more  fully  into  details  which  deserve  a 
permanent  record. 

The  first  mission  of  the  American  Baptist  Mis- 
sionary Union  had  been  planted  in  the  Telugu 
country  in  1835,  at  the  suggestion  of  Rev.  Amos 
Sutton,  an  Enghsh  Baptist ;  Rev.  Samuel  S.  Day 
and  wife  sailing  Sept.  22,  1835,  for  this  field.  In 
1837  Mr.  Day  made  a  tour  of  some  120  miles  and 
back  from  Berhampore,  visiting  forty  villages,  of 
which  one-half  had  probably  never  before  seen  a 
missionary,  or  even  a  Christian.  In  1840,  he, 
with  Rev.  and  Mrs.  S.  Van  Husen,  were  found  at 
JVeilore,  which  was  regarded  as  a  good  centre  for 
the  work,  being  in  the  midst  of  a  dense  Telugu 
population  and  about  midway  from  Cape  Cormorin 
to  the  upper  boundary  of  the  Telugu  country. 

In  1853,  the  thirty-ninth  annual  meeting  of  the 
American  Baptist  Missionary  Union  was  held  at 
Albany,  N.  Y.,  May  17.  The  moment  was  so 
critical  that  the  very  destiny  of  the  Telugu  mission 
hinged  on  the  decision  then  reached.  Mr.  Day 
and  Mr.  Jewett  and  their  wives  were  now  at  this 
Nellore  station.  Mr.  Day  had  been  in  India 
eighteen  years,  and  Mr.  Jewett  five,  having  sailed 
in  1848.  As  early  as  1846,  the  executive  commit- 
tee had  discussed  the  propriety  of  abandoning  the 
work,  but  were  prevented  by  the  vigorous  protest 
of  Mr.  Day,  then  in  this  country  for  his  health. 
But  now  again,  in  1853,  the  question  of  abandon- 
ing this  field  was  raised,  no  results  that  seemed  to 


304  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE, 

justify  the  expenditure  having  been  attained.  No 
more  than  three  persons  had  been  baptized  since 
the  mission  was  recommenced  in  1 849  ;  there  were 
no  native  helpers  in  training  or  in  prospect,  and 
the  annual  expense  was  over  $2,600. 

At  the  evening  session  at  Albany,  the  great 
question  to  be  considered  was  ''Shall  the  Telugu 
work  be  abandoned?  "  and  one  of  the  speakers, 
pointing  to  Nellore  on  the  map,  the  only  station 
in  the  Telugu  country,  gave  it  the  name  which 
has  since  clung  to  it — ''The  Lojte  Star.^^  That 
epithet  inspired  Dr.  S.  F.  Smith,  the  poet,  and  his 
pen  put  on  paper  the  following  prophetical  verses, 
which  we  here  place  on  permanent  record : 

Shine  on  "  Lone  Star"  !    Thy  radiance  bright 
Shall  spread  o'er  all  the  Eastern  sky  ; 

Morn  breaks  apace  from  gloom  and  night ; 
Shine  on  and  bless  the  pilgrim's  eye. 

Shine  on  "Lone  Star"  !     I  would  not  dim 
The  light  that  gleams  with  dubious  ray; 

The  lonely  star  of  Bethlehem 

Led  on  a  bright  and  glorious  day. 

Shine  on,  "  Lone  Star  "  !     In  grief  and  tears 

And  sad  reverses  oft  baptized : 
Shine  on  amid  thy  sister  spheres : 

Lone  stars  in  Heaven  are  not  despised. 

Shine  on,  "  Lone  Star  "  !    Who  lifts  a  hand 
To  dash  to  earth  so  bright  a  gem  ! 

A  new  "  lost  pleiad  "  from  the  band 
That  sparkles  in  Night's  diadem  ! 


THE  CHALLENGE  OF  MISSIONS.       3^5 

Shine  on,  "  Lone  Star"  !     The  days  draw  near 
When  none  shall  shine  more  fair  than  thou  ; 

Thou,  born  and  nursed  in  doubt  and  fear, 
Wilt  glitter  on  Immanuel's  brow. 

Shine  on,  "  Lone  Star"  !     Till  earth,  redeemed, 

In  dust  shall  bid  its  idols  fall ; 
And  thousands,  where  thy  radiance  beamed. 

Still  crown  the  Saviour  Lord  of  All ! 

Those  verses  proved  so  prophetic  that  the  very- 
details  of  the  prediction,  ventured  by  the  poet, 
have  been  accompHshed. 

Notwithstanding  all  discouragements,  it  was 
resolved  that  the  Teliigu  mission  be  cotitinued  and 
suitably  reinforced. 

Toward  the  close  of  this  eventful  year  another 
turning-point  was  reached  in  the  mission's  history. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jewett,  with  Christians,  Nersu,  Juha, 
and  Ruth,  touring  northward,  reached  Ongole 
about  the  end  of  December,  and  on  January  i, 
1854,  before  sunrise,  this  httle  band,  as  stated  in 
previous  pages,  mounted  the  hill  which  overlooks 
Ongole  and  the  surrounding  country.  They  saw 
the  large,  populous  town  with  its  mosques  and 
temples,  and  counted  fifty  villages  dotting  the 
plains — and  all,  like  Athens,  "  wholly  given  to 
idolatry."  There,  kneeling,  each  in  turn  besought 
God  to  send  to  Ongole  a  true  missionary,  and  en- 
joyed assurance  that  they  were  heard. 

For  a  time  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jewett  were  the  only 
active  laborers  among  the  millions  of  Telugus. 


3o6  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

But  the  Union  had,  at  Albany,  settled  the  question 
that  the  Lone  Star  Mission  should  Hve,  and  Mr. 
Jewett  earnestly  pleaded  in  1855  for  a  missionary 
to  be  located  at  Ongole,  with  its  10,000  people. 

Mr.  Jewett's  health  compelled  his  return  to 
America  in  1862,  and  finding  that  again  the  ques- 
tion of  abandoning  the  Lone  Star  Mission  was 
before  the  Board  and  Chmxhes,  he  emphatically 
insisted  it  should  not  be  deserted,  and  declared  that 
he  would  go  back,  if  only  to  die  there. 

In  1865  he  returned,  with  Rev.  and  Mrs.  J.  E. 
Clough,  and  anived  in  the  Telugu  country.  Of 
Mr.  Clough  one  word  ought  to  be  said :  he  was 
trained  as  a  civil  engineer,  and,  not  until  his  third 
appHcation,  was  he  accepted  by  the  Baptist  Union 
and  sent  to  the  field. 

The  work  went  on  for  another  twelve  years, 
with  slow  progress ;  the  wail  of  disappointed  hope 
went  up  to  God,  Hke  Isaiah's  cry — "  Lord,  who 
hath  beheved  our  report  ■  "  The  "  lone  star  "  had 
shone  for  twenty  years,  but  how  few  had  by  it 
found  the  Light  of  the  World ! 

In  1866,  in  September,  the  new  station  was 
opened  at  Ongole,  seventy  miles  north  of  Nellore, 
and  Mr.  Clough  took  charge.  Another  feeble 
luminary  was  added  to  the  "  Lone  Star "  of 
Nellore;  and  in  March,  1867,  two  converts  were 
baptized.  Mr.  Clough  undertook  a  tour  among 
the  villages  around,  sending  out  word  that  he  had 
come  to  tell  the  people  of  Jesus.     The  next  day 


THE    CHALLENGE    OE  MISSIONS.      30? 

after  arriving  at  Tula  Conda  Padu,  he  found  from 
thirty  to  forty  persons,  who  had  come  to  his  tent 
ii.  the  tamarind  grove — had  prepared  to  stay  for 
days,  and  brought  not  only  provisions  with  them, 
but  ^  change  of  clothes  to  put  011  whefi  they  were 
baptized^  for  they  had  come  to  learn  of  Christ,  with 
the  expectation  of  confessing  Him  !  On  Sunday, 
January  20,  twenty-eight  were  baptized,  and  a 
Pentecost  seemed  begun.  Native  preachers  vis- 
ited more  than  eight  hundred  villages  lying  about 
Ongole,  and  in  1867-8  the  httle  church  had  swelled 
to  seventy-five  members.  Meanwhile,  the  Canada 
Auxiliary,  organized  in  1866,  had  sent  A.  V. 
Timpany  to  Nellore,  and  the  arrival  of  this  new 
laborer  and  wife,  in  1868,  was  the  signal  for  a 
new  era  in  the  history  of  the  mission. 

Mr.  Clough  had  been  singularly  impressed  that, 
if  he  could  join  Mr.  Jewett  in  labor  among  the 
Telugus,  10,000  souls  would  be  given  them  in  one 
harvest.  This,  which  was  regarded  as  the  sign 
of  excessive  enthusiasm,  if  not  of  unsound  mind, 
by  the  members  of  the  Baptist  Board,  was  in  fact 
a  prophecy  of  coming  triumphs. 

Many  a  time,  when  far  away  among  the  jungle 
villages,  in  1869,  would  those  words  come  to  him : 
"  Be  still  and  know  that  I  am  God.  I  will  be 
exalted  among  the  heathen,  I  will  be  exalted  in 
the  earth."  In  December,  1869,  three  hundred 
and  twenty-four  more  were  baptized;  and,  sud- 
denly, from  one  of  the  most  unpromising,   the 


3o8  THE   DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

Telugu  field  became  one  of  the  most  inviting. 
And  already,  in  1870,  the  little  church  of  seventy- 
five  had  grown  to  seven  hundred  and  nine.  In 
187 1,  Ongolehad  1,200  members;  in  1872,  1,658  ; 
in  1873,  2,092  ;  and  the  number  of  baptisms  was 
limited  only  by  the  inability  of  the  missionaries  to 
visit  the  villages  and  examine  and  baptize  converts. 
At  Ramapatam,  where,  four  years  before,  a  mis- 
sionary had  preached  the  first  Sabbath  in  his  own 
sitting-room  to  a  congregation  of  his  own  servants 
and  a  few  others,  there  were,  in  1873,  500  com- 
municants, and  a  theological  school  for  native 
ministry  with  fifteen  students  !  The  field,  of  which 
Ongole  was  the  centre,  and  over  whose  area  of 
7,000  square  miles  a  milHon  of  people  were  scat- 
tered in  1,300  villages,  was  then  divided  into 
eight  parts,  and  over  each  was  placed  a  native 
preacher  and  assistant,  to  go  from  village  to  village 
teUing  the  Gospel  story. 

In   1873-4,   1,026  Telugus  were  baptized;   in 

1875,  Ongole  reported    2,642  members;    and  in 

1876,  the  "  Lone  Star  "  mission,  at  Nellore,  which 
in  1845  had  not  a  missionary,  and  whose  utter 
abandonment  was  so  often  considered ;  which  in 
1865,  when  the  veteran  Jewett  was  returning  with 
his  new  recruit,  Mr.  Clough,  had  but  thirty-eight 
living  members ;  had  now  4,000  members,  six 
stations,  and  twenty  missionaries ! 

The  famine  of  1877  exposed  hundreds  of  thou- 
sands to  starvation,  and  just  now  it  became  obvious 


THE  CHALLENGE  OF  MLSSIONS.        3^9 

why  God  had  chosen  a  civil  engineer  for  that  field. 
Mr.  Clough  obtained  a  government  contract  for 
completing  the  Buckingham  Canal,  and  on  this 
work  he  employed  thousands  of  natives,  to  whom 
the  Gospel  was  preached  after  the  day's  work  was 
done  ;  gangs  of  men,  successively  employed,  heard 
the  Word  of  Life,  and  the  next  year,  thousands 
came  forward  to  ask  baptism.  On  one  day  2,222 
were  baptized  ;  between  June  16  and  July  7,  about 
three  weeks,  5,429  were  baptized  by  Mr.  Clough 
and  his  assistants  at  Ongole.  And  Mr.  Clough 
adds  :  "  Perhaps  not  one  hundred  had  ever  received 
from  me,  directly  or  indirectly,  the  value  of  a  pice 
(one-quarter  of  a  cent)  from  the  famine  fund,  or 
ever  expected  to  receive  from  me  any  financial  aid." 
Up  to  July  31,  in  less  than  seven  weeks,  8,691 
had  professed  faith  and  received  baptism.  In 
twelve  years,  a  church  of  eight  had  thus  grown  to 
one  of  12,000!  The  wild  dream  of  John  E. 
Clough,  and  the  long  waiting  prayer  of  Dr.  Jewett, 
had  been  fulfilled.  Within  less  than  twelve  months 
the  number  of  baptized  converts  had  swelled  by 
10,000  ;  and  to  this  day  the  revival  work  goes  on, 
without  interruption  ;  the  last  reported  year  is  one 
of  abounding  fruitfulness,  and  one  of  the  largest 
in  the  in-gathering  of  converts. 

This  Telugu  field  furnishes  another  marked 
illustration  of  the  answers  to  prayer.  Mr.  Clough, 
on  coming  to  Ongole,  was  waited  upon  by  high- 
caste  citizens,  who  gave  him  support  and  placed 


3IO  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

sixty-two  of  their  sons  in  his  school  and  furnished 
the  funds  for  carrying  it  on,  without  restricting  his 
rehgious  teaching.  One  day  three  low-caste  men 
presented  themselves  as  converts,  and  were  made 
welcome ;  but  at  once  an  indignant  committee  in- 
formed him  that  if  he  had  anything  more  to  do 
with  Sudras  and  Pariahs,  the  high-caste  scholars 
would  be  at  once  withdrawn.  Two  more  low- 
caste  converts  applied  for  admission.  The  crisis 
had  come — the  school  was  likely  to  be  wrecked 
against  this  Gibraltar  of  caste,  and  the  social  sea 
was  in  a  wild  tumult. 

Mr.  Clough  and  his  wife  went  at  the  same  time 
to  different  apartments  to  pray  for  divine  guidance. 
Each  cried  for  direction  in  this  great  extremity, 
and  each  took  up  a  Testament  to  seek  in  the  Word 
of  God  guidance.  In  the  hand  of  each  the  Tes- 
tament of  its  own  accord  opened  to  the  same 
passage — I.  Cor.  i,  26—29:  "Ye  see  your  calling, 
brethren,  how  that  not  many  wise  men  after  the 
flesh,  not  many  mighty,  not  many  noble,  are  called : 
but  God  hath  chosen  the  foolish  things  of  the 
world  to  confound  the  wise  ;  and  God  hath  chosen 
the  weak  things  of  the  world  to  confound  the  things 
which  are  mighty ;  and  base  things  of  the  world, 
and  things  which  are  despised,  hath  God  chosen, 
yea,  and  things  which  are  not,  to  bring  to  nought 
things  that  are :  that  no  flesh  shall  glory  in  His 
presence." 

"  Ah,  yes,"  said  Mr.  Clough,  ''  I  see  it — I  have 


THE    CHALLENGE    OF  MISSIONS     3^ 

not  been  building  on  God's  plan :  it  must  tumble 
down,  and  I  must  begin  anew."  And  he  left  the 
room  to  go  and  tell  his  wife,  whom  he  found 
coming  into  the  study  with  her  hand  on  the  same 
Scripture.  By  this  striking  coincidence  God  led 
them  henceforth  to  build  from  the  broad  bottom 
of  the  social  pyramid,  where  the  many  are  found. 
They  at  once  announced  their  purpose,  and  every 
.scholar  left !  But,  though  the  upper  classes  at 
once  changed  from  friends  to  foes,  God  on  this 
new  basis  built  the  greatest  single  Church  of 
modern  times,  and  the  greatest  revival  since  om* 
Lord's  ascension ;  and  of  the  thirty  thousand 
Ongole  communicants,  more  converts  from  the 
upper  castes  have  been  gathered  than  Mr.  Clough 
ever  would  have  hoped  under  the  previous  plan. 

These  two  instances  have  been  previously  re- 
ferred to  in  these  pages,  but  are  here  given 
somewhat  in  detail  that  they  may  stand  as  repre- 
sentative examples  of  what  blessing  would  have 
been  forfeited  had  the  Church  of  God  at  these 
critical  times  deserted  her  post  and  abandoned 
her  work !  God  had  in  store  the  greatest  bless- 
ings known  since  Pentecost — one  in  the  South 
Seas,  the  other  in  the  East  Indies.  He  allowed 
the  faith  and  patience  of  His  people  to  be  sorely 
tried,  and  when  they  proved  faithful  He  poured 
out  a  blessing.  And  so  it  will  be  to-day,  if  this 
new  crisis  be  met  in  the  true  spirit. 

The  great  signal-gun  of  God  is  sounding  out 


312  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

the  call  to  ADVANCE!  Those  old  Greeks- 
princes  in  the  wisdom  of  this  world — showed  their 
sagacity  in  the  Olympic  games.  Three  pillars 
were  reared  in  the  ancient  stadimii,  respectively 
at  the  starting-point,  the  midway-point,  and  the 
tm-ning-point,  or  goal.  Three  Greek  words  were 
inscribed  upon  these  pillars  respectively :  on  the 
first  opLorevEy  "  Do  your  best " ;  on  the  second, 
OTTEvdej  "  Speed  you  "  ;  and  on  the  third,  Kajiipov, 
"  Stop."  When  the  racer  was  starting,  the  first 
pillar  incited  him  to  show  himself  a  man ;  when 
he  reached  the  third,  he  was  reminded  that  he  had 
reached  the  goal,  or  turning-point ;  but  it  was  at 
the  middle  pillar  that  he  met  the  caution,  ''Speed 
you  /  "     ''Make  haste  I  " 

There  was  philosophy  in  that.  No  risk  is  so 
great  as  the  risk  of  over-confidence  in  a  success 
but  half  attained.  He,  who  at  first  outran  the  rest 
and  at  the  middle  of  the  course  found  himself 
ahead,  would  be  tempted  to  relax  his  efforts ;  and 
so  some  other  racer,  who  had  reserved  his  strength 
for  the  supreme  effort  at  the  end  of  the  race, 
would  pass  him  by  and  get  first  to  the  goal. 

Paul  was  in  the  spiritual  sphere  a  trained 
athlete.  His  law  of  life  was,  "  Forgetting  those 
things  which  are  behind  and  reaching  forth  unto 
those  things  which  are  before,  I  press  toward  the 
mark  for  the  prize  of  the  high  calling  of  God  in 
Christ  Jesus."  Spinoza  wisely  said,  that  there  is 
no  foe  more  fatal  to  progress  than  self-conceit  and 


THE   CHALLENGE   OF  MISSIONS.      Z^% 

the  laziness  which  self-conceit  begets.  To  think 
and  feel  that  we  have  already  attained,  or  are 
already  perfect,  is  the  narcotic  and  sedative  that 
brings  on  the  sleep  of  the  sloth  and  the  sluggard. 
At  the  present  critical  hour  of  missions  the  banners 
of  God's  hosts  should  bear  one  word  emblazoned 
in  capitals  :  FORWARD  ! 

The  motto  of  the  great  Apostle  to  the  Gentiles 
was,  "The  Regions  Beyond."  Satisfied  with 
no  work  already  done,  content  with  no  other 
man's  Hne  of  things  made  ready  to  hand,  he 
yearned  to  evangelize  the  regions  beyond,  where 
Christ  had  not  been  named.*  That  motto  of 
Paul  is  the  true  watchword  of  this  new  age  of 
missions.  After  all  the  work  of  a  century,  we 
have  only  just  begun,  and  are  not  even  at  the 
midway  pillar.  God  says,  "  Speed  ye !  Make 
haste !  Forget  what  is  behind,  reach  toward, 
press  toward  what  is  before !  Push  for  the  re- 
gions beyond  !  "  Our  work  is  not  done — in  -a 
sense  is  not  fully  begun — so  long  as  there  remains 
one  country  or  people  or  family  where  the  Gospel 
has  as  yet  not  been  proclaimed.  A  salvation 
provided  for  all  and  free  to  all  must  be  at  least 
announced  to  all. 

The  other  signal  word  for  this  supreme  hour  of 

missions  is  PRAYER.     In  the  Pantheon  at  Paris 

is  a  superb  painting  of  the  death  of  St.  Genevieve, 

the  patron  saint  of  the  city.     And  the  picture  sug- 

*  II.  Cor.  X.  i6. 


314  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

gests  the  marked  contrasts  of  history.  Above  is 
a  triumphal  procession  entering  the  gates  with  all 
the  pomp  and  pageantry  of  victorious  war — the 
legions  of  soldiery,  the  captives  in  golden  chains, 
the  spoils  of  priceless  value,  all  suggest  the  im- 
perial glory  of  human  power  in  the  insolent  boast- 
fulness  of  conscious  success.  Beneath,  in  a  dimly- 
lighted  chamber.  Christians  gather  about  the  rude 
couch  of  the  dying  saint.  It  is  but  a  convent 
cell,  and  a  little  band  of  praying  disciples ;  yet  in 
gazing  you  feel  that  this  is  the  far  grander  scene 
— and  that,  in  the  circle  of  prayer,  and  not  in  the 
march  of  battalions,  lies  the  secret  power  which 
is  yet  to  overturn  the  empire  of  the  Caesars  and 
make  the  banners  of  the  Church  more  victorious 
than  the  silver  eagles  of  Rome ! 

The  autobiography  of  Charles  G.  Finney  is 
confessedly  one  of  the  most  remarkable  narratives 
in  the  English  tongue.  At  a  time  when  the 
American  Church  was  well-nigh  enwrapt  in  a  dead 
orthodoxy,  and  vital  godliness  was  in  peril,  this 
wonderful  man  swept  like  a  flaming  evangelist 
through  the  churches,  kindling  into  a  fierce  fire 
the  smouldering  embers  on  God's  altars.  Tens  of 
thousands  of  formal  Christians  were  quickened 
into  life,  and  converts  sprang  up  like  willows  along 
the  water-courses.  The  power  of  that  whole  move- 
ment was  the  power  of  believing  prayer.  Mr. 
Finney  himself,  from  the  very  hour  of  conversion, 
had  his  hand  on  the  throne  of  God.     His  princi- 


THE   CHALLENGE   OF  MISSIONS.      3^5 

pal  co-workers  were  men  and  women  of  marked 
power  in  intercession.  Rev.  Daniel  Nash,  famil- 
iarly known  as  "  Father  Nash,"  had  inflamed 
eyes,  and  was  for  weeks  at  a  time  shut  up  in  a  dark 
room ;  but  that  room  became  a  holy  of  holies, 
in  the  secrecy,  sohtude,  silence,  separation  of  which 
he  communed  with  God  at  the  mercy-seat.  His 
closet  was  the  throne-room  of  God,  and  as  he 
could  neither  read  nor  write.  Father  Nash  gave 
himself  up  almost  entirely  to  prayer.  From  that 
hiding-place  he  went  forth  with  a  double  black 
veil  on  his  face  to  work  for  souls,  full  of  the  power 
which  only  prayer  can  bring.  He  had  a  **  praying 
list  "  of  persons  for  whom  daily,  and  in  some  cases, 
many  times  in  a  day,  he  prayed.  And  his  faith 
was  so  marvellous  that  the  hardest  hearts  yielded 
when  he  began  to  beseech  God  for  them.  The 
bar-room  of  a  low  groggery  would  become  a 
prayer-meeting  room  and  the  blasphemous  bar- 
tender the  leader  of  the  meeting.  When  the  devil 
reared  especially  high  bulwarks  against  the  truth, 
and  impassable  walls  seemed  to  defy  progress, 
Mr.  Finney  and  Father  Nash  would  simply  over- 
come all  obstacles  by  this  one  resort :  they  would 
go  together  to  some  retired  place,  a  grove  perhaps, 
and  give  themselves  up  to  prayer  until  they  knew 
that  God  heard  and  would  answer;  and  often, 
while  Mr.  Finney  gave  himself  to  the  preaching, 
his  brother  Nash  would  pray  without  ceasing,  and 
the  most  brazen-faced  and  stiff-necked  opposers 


3i6  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

would  give  way.  Such  mighty  praying  gave 
Father  Nash  the  power  of  a  prophet.  For  ex- 
ample, when  at  Governeur,  N.  Y.,  a  band  of  god- 
less young  men  joined  hand  in  hand  by  ridicule 
and  every  other  means  to  resist  the  revival,  Father 
Nash,  coming  forth  from  his  closet  with  awful 
solemnity,  as  if  he  were  striking  chords  from 
Ezekiel's  iron  harp,  thus  solemnly  warned  them : 
"  Now,  young  men,  mark  me  !  Within  one  week 
God  will  break  yom-  ranks,  either  by  converting 
some  of  you  or  by  sending  some  of  you  to  hell ! 
He  will  do  this  as  certainly  as  the  Lord  is  my 
God  !"  Down  came  his  hand  on  the  pew  before 
him,  and  the  very  house  seemed  to  •  shake  with 
the  presence  of  God.  He  sat  down,  dropped  his 
head,  and  groaned  with  agony  for  souls. 

Even  Mr.  Finney  was  startled  at  the  boldness 
of  the  prediction.  But  two  days  had  not  passed 
before  the  leader  of  those  young  men,  in  the 
deepest  distress,  came  to  Mr.  Finney  and,  broken 
down  with  contrition,  submitted  himself  to  God ; 
and  at  once  went  back  to  his  companions,  besought 
them  to  turn  unto  the  Lord,  and  prayed  with 
them.  Before  the  week  was  out  that  band  of 
mockers  were  rejoicing  in  hope. 

Abel  Clary,  of  Rochester,  was  another  of  these 
praying  saints  to  whom  more  than  to  his  own 
pungent  and  powerful  preaching  Mr.  Finney  traced 
the  mighty  revival  tide  that  swept  over  the  Eastern 
and  Middle  States.     Though  he  was  Hcensed  to 


THE    CHALLENGE    OF  MISSIONS.      317 

preach,  such  were  his  hunger  for  souls  and  his  thirst 
after  God,  that  he  forsook  the  pulpit  for  the  closet, 
and  gave  to  prayer  his  time  and  strength,  night 
and  day.  The  absorption  of  his  soul  was  often 
such  that  he  could  not  stand,  but  would  writhe 
and  groan  as  he  travailed  in  birth  for  souls.  He 
never  appeared  in  public,  but  gave  himself  wholly 
to  the  secrecy  of  divine  communion.  Is  it  any 
marvel  that  the  whole  city  was  moved  as  it  never 
was  before  or  since  f  How  slow  are  we  to  learn 
that  from  the  secret  springs  of  the  closet  flow  the 
rills  and  rivers  of  grace,  by  which  the  deserts  are 
transformed  into  gardens  of  paradise  ! 

In  his  revival  lectures  Mr.  Finney  tells  of  another 
man  in  New  York  State,  whose  name  he  does  not 
give — a  consumptive,  poor  and  sick,  unable  to  do 
anything  but  pray.  Yet  his  intercession  brought 
answers  to  one  soul  and  one  community  after 
another,  and  even  to  distant  fields  in  pagan  and 
heathen  soil.  Revivals  sprang  up  as  if  spontane- 
ously and  unaccountably ;  but  after  his  death  his 
diary  revealed  the  secret  cause.  Daily  he  set 
apart  certain  hours  for  certain  ministers,  churches, 
communities,  and  mission  stations.  Often  in  these 
pages  would  be  found  such  an  entry  as  this :  "  To- 
day I  have  been  enabled  to  offer  what  I  beUeve 
to  be  the  prayer  of  faith  for  the  outpouring  of  the 

spirit  on ,  and  I  trust  in  God  that  there  will 

soon  be  a  revival  there."  And  not  long  after 
would  follow  the  record  of  the  answer,  even  in 


3i8  THE  DIVINE  ENTERPRISE, 

places  as  distant  as  Ceylon.  What  is  more  re- 
markable, the  revivals  followed  in  the  order  named, 
as  though  to  defy  any  explanation  but  that  found 
in  prevailing  prayer.  During  his  sickness,  as  death 
drew  nigh,  he  was  specially  engrossed  with  prayer 
for  the  town  he  hved  in.  After  he  died^  his  works 
followed  him,  and  that  last  prayer  found  gracious 
and  abundant  answer  in  the  place  of  his  residence. 
The  prayer  was  recorded  on  high  and  his  tears 
put  into  God's  bottle;  and,  though  the  praying 
lips  were  dumb,  and  the  holy  tears  were  wiped 
from  his  eyes,  the  prayers  he  had  offered  came  back 
in  converting  grace,  and  the  tears  he  had  shed 
descended  in  abundant  showers  of  blessing.  That 
the  Church  of  God  can  neglect  a  motor  like  prayer 
is  a  sure  sign  of  apostasy  !  Were  it  possible  for 
one  man  to  speak  in  a  voice  of  thunder,  that 
should  peal  around  the  world  and  reach  every 
Church  and  every  Christian  bdiever,  it  would 
be  my  desire  to  sound,  as  the  motto  of  the  pres- 
ent hour,  these  two  words,  viz. :  ''  Forward  !  " 
"  Pray  !  "  or  they  might  both  be  included  in  the 
counsel  given  by  that  Japanese  preacher,  Dr. 
Neesima,  lately  deceased:  ^^Adva?ice  on  your 
knees  J  " 

Could  the  whole  Church  just  now  determine  in 
God's  strength  to  allow  no  retrenchment,  surrender 
no  station,  withdraw  no  workman,  but  rather  mul- 
tiply her  laborers,  enlarge  her  gifts,  and  at  once 
vigorously  push  for  the  regions  beyond — could 


THE    CHALLENGE    OE  MLSSIONS.      319 

the  Church  but  resolve  that  within  this  generation 
every  human  soul  shall  hear  the  Gospel  proclaimed, 
there  would  come,  as  we  solemnly  and  confidently 
beheve,  a  new  era  of  blessing,  of  which  even 
Pentecostal  outpouring  was  but  a  forecast  and 
first-fruits !  All  prophecy  and  promise  paint  a 
glorious  future  for  the  Kingdom  of  God. 

The  visitor  at  Florence  enters  that  grand  apart- 
ment in  the  Museum  of  Natural  History  known 
as  La  Tribuna  Galilei.  The  walls  are  inlaid  with 
precious  stones  and  the  ceiling  is  glorious  with 
elaborate  frescoes.  Around  are  the  master  achieve- 
ments of  sculpture,  each  in  its  own  httle  shrine. 
In  the  centre  of  a  large  and  semicircular  window, 
at  the  extremity  of  this  temple  of  science,  stands 
the  colossal  statue  of  the  man  who  first  with  tele- 
scopic eye  penetrated  to  the  arcana  of  the  heavens. 
And  around  that  central  figure  all  else  is  clustered, 
and  toward  that  all  else  in  this  costly  Cabinet  of 
the  Medici  seems  to  point.  The  surrounding 
busts  of  great  men  all  face  toward  him  who  was 
greater  than  they  all,  and  the  very  glories  of  that 
ceiling,  which  sets  forth  the  leading  events  in  the 
career  of  the  famous  Florentine,  rains  down  on 
his  head  its  lavish  splendors. 

All  history  is  the  Tribuna  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth. 
He  is  the  central  glory  of  the  ages.  The  very 
universe  was  built  to  be  His  temple.  The  greatest 
of  prophets,  priests,  and  kings,  the  foremost  of 
poets,  philosophers,  and  statesmen,  the  leaders  in 


320  THE   DIVINE  ENTERPRISE. 

art,  science,  and  invention,  turn  toward  Him  who 
is  greater,  wiser,  and  mightier  than  all.  The  ages 
move  about  Him,  and  the  very  heavens  shine  for 
Him.  His  supernal  glory  a  stable  could  not  dim 
nor  a  manger  hide.  A  hating  world  nailed  Him 
to  a  cross  of  shame,  but  they  were  only  lifting 
Him  up  to  draw  all  men  unto  Him.  His  very 
crown  of  thorns  became  a  diadem  of  royalty,  and 
His  death  destroyed  death  and  turned  the  grave 
into  the  gateway  of  paradise.  The  cross  was  not 
the  symbol  of  defeat  and  shame,  but  of  conquest 
and  glory. 

By  the  cross  of  that  Nazarene,  the  Church  is  to 
conquer.  Missions  represent,  not  a  human  de- 
vice, but  a  divine  enterprise.  Its  thought  was  a 
divine  idea,  and  its  plan,  a  divine  scheme;  the 
work  is  a  co-labor  with  God ;  the  field  is  a  divine 
sphere ;  the  spirit  of  missions  is  a  divine  inspira- 
tion, and  the  fruit  of  missions  a  divine  seal,  an  ever- 
lasting sign  that  shall  not  be  cut  off. 

There  are  some  watchwords  which,  as  with 
trumpet  tongue,  should  peal  out  all  along  the  hues 
of  the  Church ;  our  great  motto  should  be,  "  The 
world  for  Christ  and  Christ  for  the  world,  in  this 
our  generation."  The  Fulness  of  the  Times  has 
come.  The  cup  of  God's  preparation  overflows. 
The  open  door  of  the  ages  is  before  us.  The 
whole  world  invites  and  challenges  occupation. 
FaciUties,  a  thousandfold  multiplied,  match  the 
thousandfold  opportunities.    If  it  is  the  open  door 


THE    CHALLENGE   OF  MISSIONS.     321 

of  the  ages,  it  is  also  the  crisis  of  the  ages.  Some 
one  will  enter  these  open  doors ;  if  an  inactive, 
indifferent  Church  delays,  the  arch  advers"ary  is 
always  on  the  alert.  Satan  never  yet  lost  his  op- 
portunity. He  was  in  the  garden  of  Eden  as  soon 
as  man  was ;  he  not  only  occupies,  but  preoc- 
cupies ;  with  sleepless  vigilance  he  watches  while 
even  disciples  sleep.  His  missionaries  are  every- 
where ;  his  synagogues  and  seats  throng  the  great 
centres  of  population  and  plant  their  subtle  influ- 
ences through  the  hills  and  valleys ;  his  pioneers 
go  before  the  boldest  and  bravest  who  pierce  the 
unknown  lands ;  he  sets  up  his  printing-presses 
long  before  the  Christian  literature  scatters  its 
heahng  leaves. 

Christ  is  waiting  for  His  final  Coronation.  The 
Kremlin,  that  island  in  a  sea  of  domes,  is  the 
sanctuary  of  Russia.  But,  in  all  this  maze  of 
temples,  towers,  ramparts,  and  palaces,  nothing 
impresses  one  more  than  that  singular  Treasury 
where  are  seen  the  many  crowns  worn  by  the 
rulers  who  swayed  their  sceptres  over  the  king- 
doms of  Poland,  the  Crimea  and  Kasan,  before 
they  were  absorbed  in  the  ever-encroaching  gulf 
of  Russian  conquest. 

The  structure  of  the  future  has  its  Throne-room ; 
there  lie  the  crowns  of  empire,  waiting  for  Him 
to  whom  by  right  they  all  belong.  And,  when 
He  shall  return  to  mount  His  throne,  these  crowns 
shall  be  all  laid  at  His  feet,     He  waits  for  the 


32  2  THE  DIVINE   ENTERPRISE. 

grateful  suffrages  of  a  redeemed  people,  brought 
out  of  every  nation,  before  He  assumes  His  right- 
ful dominion.  What  can  you  and  I  do  to  hasten 
that  consummation ! 

Let  my  closing  appeal  be  to  young  men.  Some 
of  us  have  passed  middle  life  and  our  sun  is  de- 
clining ;  with  others  of  us  the  sunset  hour  already 
reddens  the  horizon.  With  you  the  dawn  has  yet 
to  climb  to  its  noontide.  History  is  dense  with 
its  events.  Every  year,  every  day,  every  hour,  is 
the  prolific  parent  of  opportunities  that  might 
make  angels  rejoice,  and  responsibilities  that  might 
make  even  angels  tremble  !  These  pages  are  now 
bringing  to  a  conclusion  a  series  of  appeals  which 
have  been  written  as  with  my  heart's  blood,  and 
in  them  the  energy  and  enthusiasm  of  the  inmost 
life  have  found  utterance.  And  now  let  the  last 
words  be  put  in  capitals,  as  their  emphasis  de- 
mands : 

GOD   IS  MOVING  ON. 

HIS   MARCH   IS    SWIFT,   AND   OUR  TIME  IS   SHORT. 

NO  SUCH   AGE   HAS   EVER  BEFORE  SHONE  ON  THIS  PLANET. 

NO   SUCH    DOORS    EVER    BEFORE    OPENED    TO    HIS    CHURCH. 

WHO   WILL   FALL    INTO    LINE   WITH    GOD, 

JOIN   IN   HIS  MAJESTIC    MARCH, 

AND   IN   THE   SURE  ADVANCE   OF   HIS   PLAN 

REACH  THE  GOLDEN   FRUITION  OF  THE  AGES 


INDEX 


Abeel,  Rev.  David,  201,  263. 

Abdul  Medjid,  200. 

Absorption  in  God,  179,  180. 

Abu-Said,  160 ;  Abu-Taher, 
160. 

Acceptance  of  salvation,  26. 

Activity,  tireless  for  God,  174. 

Acts  of  the  Apostles,  incom- 
plete, 55  ;  new  chapters  in, 
56,  240  ;  the  Missionary 
Manual,  62. 

Age  to  come,  95  ;  Ages, 
Seven  Golden,  240, 

Agriculture,  to  illustrate  God's 
work,  no. 

Albert,  Frince  Consort,  to 
young  men,  58, 

Alexandria,  Church  at,  157. 

Ambassador,  107. 

America,  Discovery  of,  285  ; 
Central,  299. 

American  Baptist  Miss. Union, 

251,  303- 
Aneityum,  248. 
Angelic  Host,  207. 
Angels,  Relation  to  preaching 

the  Gospel,  43,  44. 
Aniwa,  252. 
Annus  mirabilis,  292. 
Anointing  of  the  Spirit,  213  ; 

of  Christ  as  King,  196. 
Apostolic  succession,  53. 
Architecture,illustrating  God's 

work,  109. 


Aristocratic  titles,  80. 
Army,  God's  great,  211. 
Ass's  ears,  274,  280. 
Avarice,  Power  of,  178. 

BABVLON,God's  hammer,2i3. 

Baptist,  John  the,  107. 

Bau,  Chapel  at,  246. 

Believers,  Needed  as  channels 
of  Grace,  144  ;  Secret,  266, 

Believing  is  receiving,  26. 

Benevolence,  161. 

Bengal,  256. 

Bentinck,  Gov.  William,  261. 

Bernard,  Sir  Charles,  254. 

Beseeching  men,  106. 

Besser's  story  of  redeemed 
slave,  176. 

Bible  Translations,  267. 

Bicknell,  Rev.  James,  83. 

Birds  without  wings,  187. 

Birth  hours  of  Time,  284. 

Blaikie,  Rev.  Dr.,  on  Living- 
stone, 126. 

Blantyre,  Scotland,  90. 

Blessings,  Turned  to  curses, 
169. 

Blood,  Signing  covenant  in, 
217. 

Body  of  Christ,  133 ;  its 
health,   134  ;  its  unity,   135. 

Boemish,  175. 

Botany,  Curious  fact  in,  119. 

Bradley,  Rev.  D.  B.,  201. 


324 


INDEX. 


British  rule  in  India,  261. 
Brotherhood  in  Christ,  163. 
Brunelleschi,  58. 
Buchanan,    Claudius,    D.D., 

256. 
Buell,  Rev.  W.  P.,  202. 
Buffon,  on  style,  214. 
Building,  God's,  108. 
Burdens  and  pinions,  188. 
Burmah,  loi ;  Missions  in,  251. 
Business,  About  the  Father's, 

218. 
Byzantium,  57. 

Calcutta  and  Zenana  work, 

264. 
Calvert,  Rev,  James,  243. 
Campbell,  Sir  Colin,  296. 
Canara,  256. 
Cannibalism  in  Fiji,  243  ;    in 

New  Zealand,  86  ;  of  Scots, 

272. 
Carey,  267,  271,  288,  297. 
Carmathians,  160. 
Carnal  Mind,  60, 
Caste,     163 ;     in     education, 

church-life,    etc.,   310;     in 

India,  262,  267. 
Caswell,  Rev.  J.,  203. 
Celebes,  252. 

Chalmers  on  the  Gospel,  26. 
Channels  of  Grace,  146. 
Charity,   "begins  at  home," 

165. 

Children,  Consecrated,  140. 

China,  91,  255,  295. 

Chitambo's  village,  126. 

Christ,  as  Captain  of  Lord's 
Host,  206 ;  Personal  pres- 
ence of,  141. 


Christlieb,  Prof,  Theodore,  on 
Miracles,  234 ;  Spirit  of 
Missions,  50. 

Chula  Lang  Korn,  204. 

Church,  apostasy  and  death 
in,  171 ;  Council  at  Jeru- 
salem, 93 ;  God's  idea  of, 
163 ;  Influence  on  masses, 
122 ;  Life  and  growth  of, 
169;  Militant  and  trium- 
phant, 198 ;  Outgathered 
from  nations,  93,  94. 

Cicero,  216. 

Clary,  Abel,  316. 

Clay,  Henry,  and  sarcophagus, 
176. 

Clergy  and  laity,  29,  32, 

Clough,  Rev.  Dr,  J,  E,,  306. 

Coan,  Rev,  Titus,  82, 

Coliseum  at  Rome,  185, 

Color  and  music,  151. 

Columbus  and  New  World,  39. 

Commission,  The   Great,  20, 

31. 

Complacent  love,  161. 

Composite  photograph,  20, 

Constantine,  Accession  of,  92  ; 
Conversion  of,  79 ;  Court  of, 
80 ;  Planning  Constanti- 
nople, 57. 

Constantinople, Founding,  57 ; 
Fall  of,  285. 

Constructive  Work  of  Mis- 
sions, 208. 

Consummation  of   salvation, 

54. 
Conversion  of  men  in  masses, 

87;  of  nations,  71,  77,  83,  86, 

89,  92. 
Converts,  Native,   116,   117  ; 


INDEX. 


325 


made  how,  131,  132 ;  first, 

253- 
Co-operation  with  God,  104. 
Coronation  of  Christ,  321. 
Covenant,  Carey's,  219. 
Co-witness   with    the    Spirit, 

143- 
Cows,  Sacred  in  India,  267. 
Creation,   obeying  God,  211  ; 

sharing  redemption,  237. 
Cripple,  Testifying  to  Christ, 

50. 
Crisis    in    harvest-field,    115 ; 

of  Missions,  288,  299,  300. 
Critics  of  Missions,  282. 
Croly,  Rev.  Dr.,  284. 
Crops,  Cumulative,  125. 
Cross-bearing,  47. 
Crucifixion  of  self,  167. 
Cruelties,  suppressed  in  India, 

261,  262. 
Crusade  for  Christ,  161. 
Culture,  False  type  of,  119. 
Cust,  Robt.  M.,  182. 

Dale,  Rev.  R.  W.,  D.D.,  179. 
Daniel's  prophecy,  72. 
Darwin,  on  Tierra  del  Fuego, 

274,  275. 
David,  Thrice  anointed,  194. 
Dean,  Rev.  Wm.,  20. 
Deans,  Jeanie,  187. 
Death-drums,  246, 
Debtors  to  man  and  to  Christ, 

178. 
Deems,  Rev.  C.  F.,  D.D.,  38. 
Delay  in  fruits,  253. 
Demonstration  of  the  Spirit, 

217. 
Demosthenes,  216. 


Dependence  of  members  of  the 

body,  133. 
Destructive  work  of  Missions, 

208. 
Diffusion    vs.   Concentration, 

98  ;  Diffusive  piety,  77. 
Disposition   and    conceptions 

of  truth,  226. 
Dober,  Rev.  Mr.,  175. 
Dolet,  282. 

Doubt  limiting  testimony,  37. 
Duff,  Rev.   Alex.,   D.D.,  257, 

259,  263. 
Duncan,  William,  and  Metla- 

kahtla,  253. 
Dynamics,  Spiritual,  224. 

East  India  Co.,  296;  and 
Missions,  257,  270 ;  new 
charter,  260. 

Edinburgh,  Grey  friar's  Church 
in,  217. 

Education  of  women,  263. 

Efficiency  of  witness,  215. 

Eimeo,  242. 

Elect,  Church,  94  ;  Nation,  94. 

Elective  Principle  in  God's 
working,  94. 

Elgin,  Earl  of,  293. 

Elisha,  Casting  in  salt,  152. 

Elizabeth,  Queen,  273. 

Elliot,  Sir  Chas.,  268. 

Eloquence,  defined,  215. 

Emerson,  on  positive  con- 
viction, 38. 

Empress  of  India,  296. 

End  of  Age,  54 ;  Connected 
with  witnessing,  68. 

Endosmosis,  75. 

Enduement  of  Spirit,  214. 


326 


INDEX. 


Enoch  and  Elijah,  136,  137. 

Ephesus,and  John  the  Apostle, 
156. 

Eromang-a,  242. 

Eunuch  of  Ethiopia,  132,  157. 

Euphrates,  Missions  on,  252. 

Evangehst,  Work  of,  121,  123. 

Evangelist  vs.  Prophet,  121. 

Evangelization  of  the  world, 
100  ;  immediate,  100 ;  neces- 
sary, 114;  practicable,  loi. 

Evangelization,  the  watch- 
word, 65,  92. 

Everlasting  sign,  236. 

Exigencies,  How  to  be  met, 
299. 

Exosmosis,  75. 

Expansion  needed,  288. 

Extravagance,  172. 

Eyes,  and  eye  salve,  225. 

Faber,  F.  W.,  59. 
Facilities  provided,  287. 
Faith,  Fruits  of,  154 ;   Spirit 

of,  154. 
Famine  among  Telugus,  308. 
Faust,  Retzsch's   illustrations 

of,  170. 
Feast  of  Tabernacles,  146. 
Female  education,  263. 
Fetich  worship,  84. 
Fidelity  vs.  Success,  97. 
Field  and  Force,  124. 
Field  and  Seed,  93,  iii. 
Field  is  world,  iii. 
Fiji  Islands,  243. 
Finney,  Chas.  G.,  314. 
Fish  vs.  Sheep,  121. 
Fishers  of  men,  120,  121. 
Flint,  Rev.  Dr.,  253. 


Flock  and  Fold,  120. 
Following  divine  leadership, 

57. 
Form  of  godliness,  46,  78. 
Forms  of  society,  165. 
Fruit  of  Missions,  232. 
Fry,  Elizabeth,  177. 

Galilee,    Christ's    interview 

with  disciples,  31. 
Galileo,  Tribune  of,  319. 
Gama,  Vasco  de,  286. 
Gardiner,  Allen,  276. 
Gautier,  Theophilus,  279. 
Geddie,  John,    at  Aneityum, 

248 ;  Epitaph  to,  248. 
Genevieve,  St.,  313, 
Gibbon,  on  clergy  and  laity, 

32  ;  on  Carmathians,  161. 
Giotto,  and  the  circle,  62. 
Giving,  Generous,  172;  Selfish, 

167. 
Gladstone,  Hon.  Wm.,  287. 
Glaize,   Auguste    B.,  painter, 

279. 
Goethe,  on  doubts,  38. 
Golden  Ages,  and  profligacy, 

240. 
Good  Hope,  Cape  of,  286. 
Goodell,  Dr.,  199. 
Graeff,  Fred.,  and  Clay,  176. 
Grain  of  God,  186. 
"  Grain    of    mustard    seed," 

Order  of,  174. 
Greed,  178. 

Growing  demand,  989. 
Growing  family,  290. 
Growth  of  Missions,  289. 
Guthrie,  Rev.  Thos.,  216. 
Gutzlaff,  Dr.,  201. 


INDEX. 


327 


Haldane,  Rev.   Robert,  297. 

Halenaua,  "  House  of  Wis- 
dom," 84. 

Hamilton,  SirWm.,  216. 

Hamilton,  Dr.  Jas.,  216. 

Hamlin,  Dr.  Cyrus,  199. 

"Harmonic  Laws,"  Kepler's, 
19. 

Harvest,  the  ultimate,  126. 

Harvests,  apparent  and  real, 
96. 

Hatti.Sherif,  200. 

Hau-Haus,  87. 

Havelock,  Sir  Henry,  296. 

Hawaiian  Islands,  81,  253; 
Revival  at,  82. 

Haweis,  Dr.,  300. 

Head,  Dependence  of,  133. 

Hemel  en  Aarde,  183. 

Heralding  good  tidings,  66. 

Himalayas,  Missions  in,  175. 

Hindrances  to  Missions,  135. 

Hindustan,  Progress  in,  269. 

Holy  Spirit's  work,  96,  142  ; 
Co-operation  with,  142. 

Holy  Spirit,  not  received  or 
discerned  by  natural  man, 
145  ;  works  through  believ- 
ers, 145. 

Hoomanamana  idolatry,  83. 

House,  Rev.  S.  R.,  202. 

Hunger  in  India,  266. 

Husbandry,  God's,  108,  109, 
238. 

Hyde,  175. 

"  Idea  "—Word,  19. 
Idols  of  Tahiti,  301. 
Idolatry  in  India,  266. 
Ignatius,  Martyr,  185. 


Ilala,   126. 

Illustrations  in  discourse,  112. 

India,  British  rule  in,  261 ; 
Mutiny  in,  296 ;  Missions 
in,  257,  269 ;  Opening  to 
Gospel,  296 ;  Passage  to, 
285. 

Individualism  on  religion,  89. 

Infanticide  suppressed,  262. 

Introduction,  9;  Author's,  15. 

Inventions  and  Discoveries, 
284. 

Inventions,  Theology  of,  284. 

Isaiah's  Preaching,  67. 

Israel,  Missions  to,  158. 

Italy,  298. 

James  and  John,  156. 
Japan,  91,  293 ;  Beginning  of 

Missions    in,     147 ;     Rapid 

changes  in,  91. 
Jaschke,  175. 
Jericho,  Capture  of,  205. 
Jerome  of  Prague,   184. 
Jerome  on  Scots,  272,  273, 
Jewitt,  Dr.  Lyman,  302. 
Jews,    BUndness,     158,    159 ; 

First    in    order,    157,    158 ; 

Missions  to,  157. 
Joel's  Prophecy,  95. 
Johnson,  Wm.  A.  B.,  253. 
j  Juarez,  Benito,  298. 
Judgment,  Preparing  for  the 

Gospel,  211. 
Judson,  Rev.   Adoniram,  251. 
Judson  in  Burmah,  loi. 
Judson,  Mrs.  Ann  Hazeltine, 

201. 
Juggernaut,  256. 
Julius  Caesar,  273. 


328 


INDEX. 


Kaahumanu,  Regent,  82,  83. 
Kahunas,  84,  85. 
Kamehameha  I.,  81. 
Kamehameha  V.,  85. 
Karens,  254. 
Keopuolani,  81. 
Kepler,  Johann,  19. 
Key  to  all  Church  History,  93. 
Kho-Tha-Byu  Memorial  Hall, 

70,  254. 
Kingdom  of  God,  How  built 

up,  71. 
Kingsley,  Rev.  Chas.,  277. 
Kremlin,  321. 
Krishna  Chundra  Pal,  222, 

Lack,  Filling  up  a,  129. 

Laity  and  Clergy,  29. 

Lamp-stand  and  Trumpet,  137. 

Laodiceanism,  124,  170,  171, 

Lawrence,  Sir  John,  261,  296. 

Lazarus,  and  the  tomb,  290. 

Leadership  of  God,  57. 

Lehman,  Rev.  Mr.,  184. 

Leitner,  Rev.  Mr.,  183. 

Lepers,  Missions  to,  183. 

Le  Pilori,  279. 

Life  implying  growth,  290. 

Life,  Sacrifice  of,  245. 

Life,  Spiritual  signs  of,  119. 

Light  of  world,  45. 

Link  to  be  supplied,  130. 

Livingstone,  David,  90,  96, 
126,  299  ;  Burial,  128  ;  Buried 
Heart  of,  127  ;  Body-servant 
of,  138, 139;  His  death,  126  ; 
Mrs.  McRobert  and,  139. 

Locusts,  God's  army,  211. 

London  Missionary  Society, 
300- 


London  Times,  270. 

"Lone  Star,"  304. 

Lord  Lytton  on  color,  151. 

Love  of  Benevolence  vs. 
Complacence,  161,162;  Law 
of,  162  ;  Spirit  of,  161. 

Lugalama,  249. 

Lukewarmness,  75, 

Luther,  286 ;  at  Augsburg, 
159  ;  and  Reformation,  173. 

Madras  Presidency,  266. 

Maganja  Swamp,  249. 

Maha  Mong  Kut,  203. 

Mahmoud,  Sultan,  199. 

Malabar,  256. 

Malo,  David,  "  History  Ha- 
waii," 84. 

Maoris,  87. 

Marching  orders,  99,  154. 

Mariner's  compass,  284. 

Marsden,  Samuel,  86,  254,  255. 

Marseilles,  Painting  at,  279. 

Marsh,  258. 

Marshman,  219. 

Martyr,  Rev.  Henry,  297. 

Martyrs  of  science,  280. 

Martyrs  of  Uganda,  249. 

Massacre  of  Punjab,  261. 

Mattoon,  Rev.  Stephen,- 202. 

McAuley  Mission,  50. 

McCosh,  Dr.  Jas.,  216. 

McFarlane,  Rev.  S. ,  244. 

McLeod,  Norman,  43. 

McRobert,  Mrs.,  and  Living- 
stone, 139. 

Mebalwe,  Servant  of  Living- 
stone, 139. 

Mercy,  Exercise  of,  166. 

Meriah  sacrifices,  259. 


INDEX. 


329 


Messengers,  107. 

Messianic  covenant  and  reij^n, 
192. 

Metlakahtla,  253. 

Mexico,  268. 

Midas  and  ass's  ears,  274, 
280. 

Mikado  of  Japan,  294. 

Militant  church,  207. 

Millennial  Age,  95. 

Ministry,  An  ordained,  35,  42. 

Miracle,  Defined,  235;  Loaves, 
156  ;  Missions,  234. 

Missionary  force,  and  its 
increase,  loi,  172 ;  Inade- 
quacy of,  172. 

Missions,  Opposition  to,  258. 

Modern  Miracles,  235, 

Moloch,  Modern,  257. 

Money  and  its  expenditure, 
172. 

Monod,  Pastor,  103. 

Moral  miracles,  236. 

Moravians,  120,  183  ;  Their 
Litany,  120 ;  Zeal,  174. 

Morse,  Prof.  S.  B.,  40. 

Motive  power  in  M  ssions,  153. 

Mujasi,  249. 

Mullens,  Mrs.,  and  Zenanas, 
264,  265. 

Musicians  and  preachers,  com- 
pared, 226. 

Mwanga,  Chief,  249. 

Nankin,  Treaty  of,  295. 
Nash,  Father,  315. 
National  Covenant,  Scotland, 

217, 
Native  Converts,  116. 
Natural  man,  60. 


Naturalness  in  testimony, 
214. 

Na  Vita  Leva,  254, 

Nebuchadnezzar's  golden  im- 
age, 72. 

Needle  and  Zenanas,  298. 

Ncesima,  Dr.,  318. 

Neglect  of  souls,  134. 

Negro,  and  God's  image,  164. 

Newgate  Prison,  177  ;  Revival 
in,  86. 

New  Jerusalem,  73. 

New  Zealand,  86,  275. 

Nicobar  Islands,  175, 

Nineteenth  Century,  287. 

Nitschmann,  175. 

Noah's  preaching,  67. 

Nott,  Rev.  Mr.,  at  Tahiti,  253. 

Numbers,  Snare  of,  67,  70. 

Numerical  results  mislead- 
ing, 90. 

Obedience  and  knowledge, 
41  ;  Absolute,  Power  of, 
159,  160 ;  Implicit,  157  ; 
Spirit  of,  154 ;  to  be  prompt, 
155 ;  of  soldiers  of  Car- 
math,  160. 
i  Occupation    of   whole    field, 

i      99- 

;  Offence  of  the  Cross,  167. 
;  Olympic  Games,  312. 
I  Ongole,  250,  302. 

Ono,  God  of  War,  243. 
'  Opening  of  doors,  286, 
j  Opium  curse,  91. 

Opportunity,  287. 

Ordained  Ministrj-,  Reasons 
for,  35. 

Order  of  Missions,  157. 


330 


INDEX. 


Outpouring  of  the  Spirit  on 

all  flesh,  149. 
Ovaries  in  plants,  119. 

Pagell,  175. 

Pai  Marire,  87. 

Pan,  274. 

Pantheon,  Painting  in,  313. 

Pantomime,Witnessing  in,  51. 

Panwas,  259. 

Papal  Europe,  1853,  298. 

Paradox  of  Missions,  53. 

Passion  for  numbers,  89,  120 ; 

Souls,  48,  174. 
Paton,  Rev.  J.  G.,  252. 
Paul  an  athlete,  312. 
Paul  as  miracle  worker,  232. 
Paul's  methods,  157  ;  First  to 

Jews,  158. 
Paul's  service  to  God,  126. 
Paul's  sphere  of  work,  156. 
Peace,  Salutation  of,  24. 
Pentecost,  Typical,  209. 
Perfection  of  benevolence,  166. 
Pei-petuity  of  witnessing,  55. 
Persecuted  benefactors,  282. 
Persecution  in  time  of  Stephen, 

33. 
Persecutions,  The  Ten,  79. 
Peter  and  James,  156. 
Peter  at  Joppa,  52. 
Philip  baptizing,  34. 
Philip  the  Evangelist,  156. 
Phoenician  sailors  in    Spain, 

73- 

Piety,  a  higher  t3^e,  223 ; 
Prevailing  type  of,  76,  77. 

Pipper,  Nathaniel,  254. 

Plan  of  God,  103,  104;  Mis- 
sions, 57. 


Plan,  the  Word,  59. 

Planting  of  the  Lord,  238. 

Plants  in  Lord's  garden,  121. 

Polynesia,  Missions  in,  248. 

Pomare  II.,  254. 

Poverty  of  Christ,  167. 

Power  of  Holy  Ghost,  23,  25 ; 
Spirit,  209,  210  ;  in  Missions, 
189. 

Prayer,  314  ;  against  becom- 
ing great,  120 ;  and  con- 
viction, 41 ;  answered  in 
Missions,  291  ;  answered, 
309,  310. 

Preaching,  lack  of  power, 
223 ;  of  primitive  disciples, 

33- 
Preparatio  Evangelica,  220. 
Presence   of   Christ,   25,  141, 

190. 
Printing,  Discovery  of,  286. 
Problem  of  Missions,  153. 
Progress  of  the  race,  287. 
Progress    of    doctrines  as  to 

Missions,  120. 
"  Promise  of  the  Father,"  22, 

190  ;  Christ,  141. 
Propagation  of  Gospel,  118. 
Prophet,    Receiving    a,    136 ; 

Reward  of,  136. 
Prussian  army,  159. 
Psalm  II.,  192. 
Purpose  of  God  in  this  age, 

64,  65. 

Quixotism  in  Missions,  102. 

Ratio    of    conversion,   256; 

Progress,  256. 
Recompense  not  to  be  sought 

from  man,  166. 


INDEX. 


Zl"^ 


Reformation,  284. 

Regions  beyond,  313. 

Resistance  to  Messiah,  196. 

Responsibility  for  lost  souls, 
28. 

Results  not  to  be  waited  for, 
67,  100. 

Resurrection  of  Christ,  195. 

Rctzsch's  Illustrations,  170. 

Revival  of  1857-8,  293. 

Revolt  against  Christ,  196. 

Reward,  God's  administra- 
tion of,  97,  136,  137. 

Ridicule  of  Missions,  273. 

Ripon,  Bishop  of,  56,  240. 

Robben  Island,  184. 

Robertson,  Rev.  Wm.,  276. 

Robinson,  Rev.  Edwd.,  D.D., 
30. 

Roman  citizens,  213. 

Roman  Empire,  Conversion 
of,  78-80  ;  Soldiers,  213. 

Roses  turned  to  burning  coals, 
170. 

Rum  curse,  91. 

Sacramental  rights  of  be- 
lievers, 34. 

Sale,  Mrs.  Elizabeth,  264, 
298. 

Salt  of  the  earth,  45. 

Samaritans  and  Jews,  163. 

Sandwich  Islands.  See  Ha- 
waiian. 

Saving  self,  47,  167. 

Scattering  abroad  of  Early- 
Christians,  33. 

Schism  in  the  body,  134. 

Sclimidt,  175. 

Schway-Mote-Tau  Pagoda,  70. 


Scots   and   cannibaHsm,   272, 

273- 
Seed  of  the  Kingdom,  111,115, 

116;   for  propagation,  118; 

Vessels,  lack  of,  119. 
Seeman,  Dr.,  on  cannibalism, 

244. 
Self-abnegation,  47,  167,  168. 
Selfishness,    178  ;     in     social 

life,  165  ;  and  self-love,  151. 
Self-sacrifice,  47,  78,  167. 
Selwyn,  Bishop,  86. 
Separation,  75. 
Serampore,  Carey,  etc.,  267. 
Sevenfold   Plan  of  Missions, 

64. 
Sheba,  Queen  of,  63. 
Siam,  and  Mrs.  Judson.  201. 
Sierra  Leone  Missions,  253. 
Silver  accounted  nothing  of, 

73- 

Simplicity  of  witnessing,  27. 

Skinner,  Dr.  T.  H.,  on  preach- 
ing, 227. 

Smith,  Geo.,  LL.D.,  220  ;  Dr. 
S.  P.,  250 ;  his  poem,  304. 

Socialism,  179. 

Society  for  Promoting  Female 
Education,  etc.,  264. 

Solomon  and  Queen  of  Sheba, 

63. 

Solomon's  splendor,  73. 
Speed,  when  necessary,  312. 
Spinoza,  on  conceit,  312. 
Spirit  of  Missions,  151  ;  Love, 

162. 
Spirit  of  Prayer,  293. 

Tabitha,  136. 

Tabu,  system  abolished,  81. 


332 


INDEX. 


Tahiti,  247,  275,  300. 

Tamil  testimony  to  Missions, 

268. 
Taylor,  J.  Hudson,  135. 
Taylor,  John,  184. 
Telegraph,  First  line  of,  40, 
Telugus,  Missions  among,  250, 

303. 
Tempers  of  mind  as  affecting 

conception  of  God,  226. 
Tennyson,  Lord,  271. 
Testament,  Old  and  New  con- 
trasted, 121,  137. 
Testimony  to  Missions,  283. 
Testimony  of  Spirit  to  Christ, 

142. 
Tetzel,  286. 

Thakombau,  Chief,  244. 
Thakombau,  Last  act  of,  246. 
Thales,  163. 
Theory,  Word,  19. 
Theremin,  on  eloquence,  215. 
Thibet,  219. 

Thinking  rightly  of  God,  226. 
Thoburn,  Bishop,  On  Church 

and  Missions,  169. 
Tholuck's  motto,  174. 
Thomas  of  Aquino,  150. 
Thompson,    Dr.     Burns,    on 

botany,  169. 
Thompson,  Sir  Rivers,  270. 
Thorns,  Crown  of,  236. 
Thorns,  sign  of  curse,  236. 
Throne  room  of  KremUn,  321. 
Tientsin,  Treaty  of,  295. 
Tierra  del  Fuego,  274. 
"Times,"   The    London,    on 

Missions,  270. 
Tomlin,  Rev.  Mr.,  201. 
Touchstone  of  piety,  46,  50. 


Tradition,  17. 
Treasury,  Kremlin,  321. 
Treaty  of  Nankin,  295. 
Tribuna  Galilei,  La,  319. 
Triumphs    of    Missions,   270, 

271. 
Trumpet     and     lamp-stand, 

137. 
Trustees  of  Gospel,  178. 
Truth  against  the  world,  271. 
Truth    and    its    interpreters, 

226. 
Truth  and  majorities,  92. 
Truth  vs.  Power,  224. 
Truth  not  sufficient,  224. 
Turkey  and  Missions,  252. 
Turkish    Missions,    crisis   of, 

198. 
Tycoon's  death,  293. 

Unction,  225,  230. 
Unfruitfulness,  120, 
"Unitas    fratrum,"   Seal  of, 

175- 
Universal  priesthood,  32. 
Universal  terms,  98. 
Universality    of    witnessing, 

28,  35. 

Vassar,  "  Father,"  218. 
Vedanta,  267. 
Virtue,  Aromatic,  228. 
Virtue,  in  eloquence,  215. 
"Voice,"  107. 

Voice,   Giving  a  voice  to  the 
Gospel,  132. 

Ward,  Rev.  Wm.,  256. 
Ward,  Rev.  Mr.,  219. 
Water,  The  Living,  145,  146. 


INDEX. 


2>2>l 


Weapons  of  war,  207. 

Wesley,  John,  in  Georgia,ioi. 

Westminster  Abbey  and 
Epistle  to  Hebrews,  150. 

Westminster  Abbey,  Two 
scenes  in,  128. 

Wheeler,  Rev.  Chas.,  252. 

Wilde,  Oscar,  273. 

Wilks,  Rev.  Matthew,  300. 

Will,  Losing  ours,  gaining 
God's,  179. 

Willard,  Francis  E.,  176. 

Williams,  John,  56,  242,  300. 

Willing  mind,  138. 

Wilson,  Rev.  Dr.  John.,  Bom- 
bay, 261. 

Winged  sandals,  107. 

Winning  the  world,  76. 

Winning  souls,  218. 

Witness  among  all    nations, 

54,  69. 

Witnesses  to  Christ,  22,  25, 
27,  142. 

Witnessing,  confined  to  be- 
lievers, 42. 

Witnessing,  Efficiency  of,  215. 

Witnessing,  Experimental,  36. 

Witnessing,  Naturalness  of, 
214. 

Witnessing,  Necessary  to  a 
saved  soul,  49. 

Witnessing,  simplicity  of,  27, 
218. 


Witnessing,  Universality  of, 
28,  35. 

Woman  in  India,  267. 

Woman  of  Samaria,  146. 

Word  and  Work  of  God  to  be 
studied,  59. 

Word  Witness,  a  key  to  the 
Bible,  51-53- 

Working  with  God,  59,  103. 

World's  conference,  272. 

World-field,  Its  character- 
istics, 113. 

World,  Kingdoms  to  be  de- 
stroyed, 71-74. 

Worldliness,  Danger  of,  76. 

Worldly  society.  Hollow  and 
shallow,  165. 

Xavier,  Francis,  231. 

Year  1858,  292, 
Year,  Wonderful,  29*,. 
Young,  E.  D.,  12'/. 
Young  men.  Appeal  to,  322. 

Zanguebar,  284. 
Zenana  Missions,  263,  298. 
Ziegenbalg,  284. 
Zinzendorf,  Count  von,  174. 
Zinzendorf,      Count,     conse- 
cration of,  174. 


PUBLICATIONS   OF 

FHE  BAKER  &  TAYLOR  CO. 

Publishers  and   booksellers, 
740  AND  742  Broadway,  New  York. 


Mailed  to  any  address,  postpaid,  oh  receipt  of  price. 


BEHRENDS  —  SOCIALISM  AND  CHRISTIAN- 
ITY. By  A.  J.  F.  Behrends,  D.D.  i2mo,  paper,  50 
cents  ;  cloth $1  00 

"  Uniting-  to  the  uncompromising  honesty  of  a  catholic  mind  a 
large  endowment  of  practical  constructive  ability,  he  (Dr.  Behrends) 
is  not  only  able  to  g^ive  his  readers  a  comprehensive  grasp  on  the 
rather  intricate  subject  of  Socialism  in  all  its  schools,  but,  better 
than  this,  to  offer  some  sound,  sensible,  and,  above  all,  practical 
remedies  for  the  sores  on  the  social  hoAy .''''— Providence  Journal. 

BLAKELEE— INDUSTRIAL   CYCLOPEDIA.     By 

George  E.  Blakelee.  8vo,  cloth,  720  pages,  2cx)  illustra- 
tions  I3  00 

This  book  is  stored  from  cover  to  cover  with  thoroughly  simple, 
practical,  and  easily  understood  directions  for  making  and  mending 
every  conceivable  article  of  use  or  ornament,  for  performing  every 
process  that  could  be  of  service  in  the  workshop,  tne  kitchen,  about 
a  village  home,  or  on  a  farm,  and  for  the  application  of  a  thousand 
and  one  clever  expedients  to  the  task  of  best  accomplishing  every 
variety  of  every-day  work.  Its  abundant  illustrations  put  matters 
so  clearly  before  the  reader  that  doing  is  nearly  as  easy  as  seeing, 

"This  book  has  a  department  for  everything,  and  is  worth  its 
price  every  year  to  every  izsmXy y —Rural  New  Yorker. 

"  A  blessing  to  mankind.  A  book  everybody  should  have.  It  is 
the  only  practical  and  comprehensive  work  on  simple  mechanics  in 
the  world."— iV.  Y.  Tribune  and  Farmer. 

BUNYAN— THE  PILGRIM'S  PROGRESS.  From 
this  World  to  that  Which  is  to  Come.  By  John  Bunyan. 
Being  a  Fac-simile  Reprint  of  the  First  Edition,  published 
in  1678.  See  "  Fac-simile  Reprints."  i6mo,  antique  bind- 
ing, with  Renaissance  design,  gilt  top,  $1.25  ;  imitation 
panelled  calf,  $1.25  ;  full  morocco,  basket  pattern,  $2.25  ; 
Persian,  |2,a5  ;  levant $2  5« 


Publications  of  The  Baker  &  Taylor  Co, 


BRANCH— NATIONAL  SERIES  OF  SPEAKERS. 

By  O.  E.  Branch,  author  of  "  Hamilton  Speaker."  I.  Pri- 
mary Speaker  ;  boards,  50  cents.  II.  Junior  Speaker  ;  cloth, 
75  cents.     III.  Advanced  Speaker  ;  cloth $1  25 

These  entirely  new  books  contain  the  very  freshest  and  most  un- 
hackneyed selection  of  good  speakable  pieces  now  accessible  to 
seekers  after  new  subjects  for  declamation  and  recitation.  They  are 
graded  to  meet  the  needs  of  persons  of  all  ages. 

CALKINS  —  KEYSTONES  OF  FAITH  ;  OR, 
WHAT  AND  WHY  WE  BELIEVE.  By  Wol- 
COTT  Calkins,  D.D.     i6mo,  cloth 75  cts. 

This  book  is  designed  for  young  Christians  and  busy  people  who 
need  a  brief  outline  of  the  great  doctrines  of  grace  in  which  all 
evangelical  denofninations  agree.  In  the  body  of  the  work,  Chap- 
ters I.-VIII.,  this  is  given  in  popular  language,  free  from  all  techni- 
cal phrases  of  theologfy.  In  Chapters  IX.  and  X.  another  outline  is 
given  in  the  language  of  the  Catholic  and  evangelical  confessions, 
and  in  Chapter  Al.  still  another  short  but  complete  outline  is  given, 
in  the  exact  language  of  Scripture. 

COOPER  — LEATHER-STOCKING  TALES.   By' 

James  Fenimore  Cooper.  A  New  Library  Edition,  in 
large  type,  from  new  plates.     5  vols.,  i2mo,  green  cloth, 

gilt  top $5  00 

CO-OPERATION  IN  CHRISTIAN  WORK.  Com- 
mon Ground  for  United  Inter-Denominational  Effort.  By 
Bishop  Harris,  Rev.  Drs.  Storrs,  Gladden,  Strong, 
Russell,  Schauffler,  Gordon,  King,  and  Hatcher, 
President  Gilman,  Professor  Geo.  E.  Post,  and  others. 
(Uniform    with    "Problems    of    American    Civilization.") 

i6mo,  paper,  30  cents  ;  cloth 60  cts. 

This  book  contains  a  series  of  selected  addresses  delivered  before 
the  General  Christian  Conference  held  at  Washington,  D.  C,  De- 
cember 7-9,  1887,  under  the  auspices  of  the  Evangelical  Alliance. 

CRANE  — VIRGIL'S  iENEID.  Translated  literally, 
line  by  line,  into  English  Dactylic  Hexameter,  by  Rev. 
Oliver  Crane,  D.D.     4to,  cloth $1  75 

This  translation  is  probably  the  closest  reproduction  of  the  orig- 
inal extant  in  any  language.  It  retains  the  metre  and,  with  remark- 
able smoothness  and  aptness  of  language,  gives  the  English  of  the 
great  poem  in  the  same  number  of  lines,  and  almost  in  the  same 
number  of  syllables,  as  the  epic  itself. 

DEUTSCH  — LETTERS  FOR  SELF-INSTRUC- 
TION IN  THE  GERMAN  LANGUAGE.  By  Sol- 
omon Deutsch,  Ph.D.  2  vols.,  8vo,  cloth,  $5.00.  Each 
volume  also  sold  separately.  Vol.  I.  First  Course,  Gram- 
matical;  8vo,  cloth,  480  pages,  $2.50.  Vol.  II.  Second 
Course, Idiomatic  and  Literary;  8vo, cloth, 364 pages.  $2  50 


Publications  of  The  Baker  &  Taylor  Co, 


DEUTSCH— LETTERS,  "Etz.— Continued. 

This  is  an  elaborate  work  which  perfectly  accomplishes  the  task  of 
making  it  possible  for  an  English  student,  entirely  without  other 
aid,  to  master  every  detail  of  the  pronunciation,  grammar,  and  idioms 
of  the  German  language,  and  at  the  same  time  to  become  familiar 
with  its  conversational  forms,  its  proverbs,  and  classical  sayings. 

Mr.  Charles  Di'dley  Warner  fitly  characterized  the  book  when 
he  said  of  it  :  "  The  tneihod  is  scientific,  but  is  perfectly  intelligi- 
ble. The  author  is  thorough  :  in  order  to  be  easy  he  cannot  be  brief: 
he  explains  carefully.'''' 

DEUTSCH— DRILLMASTER  IN  GERMAN.  Based 
on  Systematic  Gradation  and  Steady  Repetition.  By  Solo- 
mon Deutsch,  A.m.,  Ph.D.,  author  of  "Letters  for  Self- 
Instruction  in  German,"  etc.     1 2mo,  cloth,  469  pages.  $1  50 

A  perfect  instrument  for  the  complete  mastery  of  German. 

The  subject-matter  of  the  book  is  divided  into  twenty-four  sec- 
tions, consisting  of  numbered  paragraphs  containing  German  sen- 
tences on  the  left  page,  and  the  exact  idiomatic  English  equivalent 
on  the  right  page.  Each  of  these  sections  of  fifty  paragraphs  is  fol- 
lowed by  the  same  number  of  paragraphs  in  English,  containing 
Drill  Exercises  for  Oral  and  Written  Review.  In  these  no  new 
terms  are  employed,  but  merely  modifications  and  variations  of  the 
sentences  alreadv  given,  and  these  have  been  selected  with  a  view 
to  practical  usefulness.  The  grammatical  rules  deduced  from  the 
model  sentences  which  form  the  bulk  of  the  book  appear  in  copious 
foot-notes  and  in  the  appendix.  The  latter  also  contains  synopti- 
cal tables,  giving  a  general  view  of  the  inflectionSj  and  an  alphabeti- 
cal list  of  the  prepositions,  with  their  idiomatic  use.  An  index, 
alphabetically  arranged,  directs  the  student  at  once  to  the  resources 
of  the  book  on  any  given  point. 

FAC-SIMILE  REPRINTS  of  Walton's  "  Compleat 
Angler,"  Bunyan's  "Pilgfrim's  Progress,"  and  Herbert's 
"  Temple."  Being  reproductions  of  the  First  Editions  of 
these  books.  Each  i6mo,  antique  binding,  Avith  Renais- 
sance design,  gilt  top,  $1.25  ;  imitation  panelled  calf, 
$1.25  ;    full    morocco,    basket    pattern,    $2.25  ;    Persian, 

$2.25  ;  levant %2  50 

"  These  immortal  works  are  here  presented,  as  nearly  as  possible, 
in  the  precise  form  in  which  they  were  first  issued."— r^i^^  Literary 
World.,  London,  England. 

GASPARIN  —  UNDER  FRENCH  SKIES  ;  OR, 
SUNNY    FIELDS  AND   SHADY   WOODS.      By 

Madame  De  Gasparin,  author  of  "Near  and  Heavenly 
Horizons."     i6mo,  cloth $1  25 

*'  Daudet's  windmill  sketches  are  not  more  delicately  drawn.  It 
is  a  book  to  be  devoured  before  an  open  grate,  or  under  green  apple 
honshs.'"— Philadelphia  Press. 

"Done  with  great  deWcsicy  and  ^msh.^''— Springfield  Republican. 

GODDARD— THE  ART  OF  SELLING.  With  Hints 
on   Good   Buying  ;    also,  Changes  in  Busir^ess  Conditions 


Publications  of  The  Baker  &  Taylor  Co. 


GODDARD— THE  ART  OF  SRl^l^lliG.— Continued. 
and  Methods  ;  Salesmen's  Compensation,  Opportunities,  and 
Prospects  ;  Commercial  Travellers  ;  Retail  Merchants  and 
Salesmen  ;  Saleswomen  ;  How  to  Read  Character,  and  the 
Most  Important  Legal  Principles  and  Decisions  Governing 
Sales.     By  F.  B.  Goddard.     i2mo,  flexible  cloth.  .  50  cts. 

In  this  book  the  author  lets  the  reader  into  the  secrets  of  the  ac- 
complished and  successful  salesman,  illustrates  his  tact  and  finesse, 
and  tells  how  he  masters  men. 

"  We  doubt  if  anything  better  of  its  kind  has  ever  been  published. 
Any  one  with  this  handbook  as  a  guide  might  easily  develop  into 
a  skilful  and  successful  salesman.  To  many  it  will  be  worth  its 
weight  in  gold.''''  —  Christian  at  Work. 

HERBERT— THE  TEMPLE.  Sacred  Poems  and  Pri- 
vate Ejaculations.  By  George  Herbert,  late  Oratour 
of  the  Universitie  of  Cambridge.  Being  a  fac-simile  of  one 
of  the  Gift  Copies  printed  for  circulation  by  Nicholas 
Ferrar,  before  the  publication  in  1633,  of  which  only  one 
copy  is  known  to  exist.  See  "  Fac-simile  Reprints." 
i6mo,  antique  binding,  with  Renaissance  design,  gilt  top, 
$1.25  ;  imitation  panelled  calf,  $1.25  ;  full  morocco,  basket 
pattern,  $2.25  ;  Persian,  $2.25  ;  levant $2  50 

JANES— HUMAN  PSYCHOLOGY.  An  Introduction 
to  Philosophy.  Being  a  Brief  Treatise  on  Intellect,  Feel- 
ing, and  Will.  By  E.  Janes,  A.M.  New  and  Revised 
Edition,  i2mo,  cloth $i  50 

"  This  book  is  intended  for  use  in  Schools  and  Colleges  by  classes 
beginning  the  study  of  Philosophy,  and  is  also  adapted  to  the  wants  of 
the  general  reader.  Its  definitions  are  clear  and  concise.  Its  treat- 
ment of  the  subject  is  such  as  to  impart  to  the  student  who  goes  no 
further  an  adequate  knowledge  of  the  elements  of  Psychology, 
and  to  lay  a  solid  foundation  for  the  future  work  of  the  student 
of  Philosophy."— CArzV^/a«  at  Work. 

LIGGINS— THE  GREAT  VALUE  AND  SUCCESS 
OF  FOREIGN  MISSIONS.  Proved  by  Distinguished 
Witnesses.  By  Rev.  John  Liggins,  with  an  Introduction 
by  Rev.   Arthur  T.  Pierson,    D.D.     i2mo,  249  pages, 

paper,  35  cents  ;  cloth 75  cts. 

A  powerful  presentation  of  overwhelming  evidence  from  indepen- 
dent sources,  largely  that  of  Diplomatic  Ministers,  Viceroys,  Gov- 
ernors, Military  and  Naval  Officers,  Consuls,  Scientific  and  other 
Travellers  in  Heathen  and  Mohammedan  countries,  and  in  India 
and  the  British  Colonies.  It  also  contains  leading  facts  and  late 
statistics  of  the  Missions. 

LOOMIS— MODERN  CITIES  AND  THEIR  RE- 
LIGIOUS PROBLEMS.  By  Samuel  Lane  Loomis. 
With  an  Introduction  by  Rev.  Josiah  Strong,  D.D. 
i2mo,  cloth $1  00 


Publications  of  The  Baker  &  Taylor  Co, 


LOOMIS-MODERN  CITIES,  "Etz.— Continued. 

"  The  author  has  reached  more  nearly  to  the  true  cause  of  the 
difficulty  and  the  proper  manner  to  remove  it  than  any  other  author 
with  whose  works  we  are  acquainted." — Hart/ord Post. 

NATIONAL  NEEDS  AND  REMEDIES.  The  Dis- 
cussions of  the  General  Christian  Conference  held  at 
Boston,  Mass.,  Dec.  4-6,  1889,  under  the  auspices  and 
direction  of  the  Evangelical  Alliance  for  the  United  States. 
Svo,  paper,  $1.00  ;  cloth $i   50 

The  important  subject  of  causing,  by  means  of  inter-denomina- 
tional effort,  Christian  principles  and  feeling  to  thoroughly  permeate 
our  whole  civilization,  was  elaborately  discussed  by  Phillips 
Brooks,  Josiah  Strong,  Richard  T.  Ely,  Howard  Crosby,  Bishop 
Huntington,  Joseph  Cook,  and  many  others  who  are  giving  direction 
to  the  thought  of  to-day. 

"  This  Boston  Conference  is  the  most  important  event  in  the 
American  religious  world  which  we  have  been  permitted  to  chronicle 
in  a  very  long  Xxva^y—The  Churchman. 

NATIONAL     PERILS    AND    OPPORTUNITIES. 

The  Discussions  of  the  General  Christian  Conference  held 
at  Washington,  D.  C,  Dec.  7-9,  1887,  under  the  auspices 
and  direction  of  the  Evangelical  Alliance  for  the  United 
States.     Svo,  cloth $1  50 

The  book  is  indispensable  to  every  Christian  who  would  keep 
abreast  of  current  religious  thought  and  effort. 

Among  the  speakers  were :  Dr.  S.  J.  McPherson,  Dr.  Arthur  T. 
Pierson,  Pres.  James  W.  McCosh,  Bishop  Samuel  Harris,  Dr.  Josiah 
Strong,  Dr.  Washington  Gladden,  Dr.  A.  F.  Schauffler,  and  fifty 
other  prominent  representatives  of  all  denominations  and  all  sec- 
tions of  the  country. 

'•  All  the  prominent  social  questions  which  now  confront  the 
churches  were  discussed,  and  the  foremost  men  in  the  churches 
were  present  to  discuss  them." — Christian  Union. 

PIERSON— THE  CRISIS  OF  MISSIONS;  OR, 
THE  VOICE  OUT  OF  THE  CLOUD.  By  the 
Rev.  Arthur  T.  Pierson,  D.D.     i6mo,  paper,  35  cents  ; 

cloth |i  25 

"We  do  not  hesitate  to  say  that  this  book  is  the  most  purposeful, 
earnest,  and  intelligent  review  of  the  mission  work  and  field  which 
has  ever  been  given  to  the  Q.VMXch..''^ —Christian  Statesman. 

PIERSON— EVANGELISTIC  WORK  IN  PRIN- 
CIPLE AND  PRACTICE.  By  Rev.  Arthur  T. 
Pierson,  D.D.     i6mo,  paper,  35  cents  ;  cloth $1  25 

An  able  discussion  of  the  best  methods  of  evangelization  by  an 
acknowledged  master  of  the  subject. 

"The  book  tingles  with  the  evang-elistic  spirit,  and  is  full  of 
arousement  without  sliding  into  fanaticism."— 5>W«^y?(r/</  Repuili- 


Publications  of  The  Baker  &  Taylor  Co, 


PIERSON-THE  ONE  GOSPEL;  OR,  THE  COM- 
BINATION OF  THE  NARRATIVES  OF  THE 
FOUR    EVANGELISTS    IN    ONE    COMPLETE 

RECORD.  Edited  by  Rev.  Arthur  T.  Pierson,  D.D. 
i2mo,  flexible  cloth,  red  edges,  75  cents  ;  limp  morocco, 
full  gilt $2  00 

Each  evangelist  furnishes  some  matter,  found,  if  at  all,  not  so  fully 
in  the  other  records.  It  has  been  sought  to  blend  all  the  various 
features  of  the  four  narratives  into  one  without  losing  whatever  is 
distinctive  in  each.  Without  taking  the  place  of  the  four  Gospels 
this  book  will  be  an  aid  in  their  study— a  commentary  wholly  bibli- 
cal, whereby  the  reader  may,  at  one  view,  see  the  complete  and  har- 
monious testimony  of  four  independent  witnesses. 

PROBLEMS    OF    AMERICAN    CIVILIZATION: 

Their  Practical  Solution  the  Pressing  Christian  Duty  of 
To-day.  By  Presidents  McCosH  and  Gates,  Bishop  CoxE, 
Rev.  Drs.  Pierson,  Dorchester,  McPherson,  and  Hay- 
good,  Hon.  Seth  Low,  Prof.  Boyesen,  Col.  J.  L.  Greene, 
and  Rev.  Samuel  Lane  Loomis.  (Uniform  with  "  Co- 
operation in  Christian  Work.")  i6mo,  paper,  30  cents  ; 
cloth 60  cts. 

This  book  contains  a  series  of  selected  addresses  delivered  before 
the  General  Christian  Conference  held  at  Washington,  D.  C,  Dec. 
7-9,  1887,  under  the  auspices  of  the  Evangelical  Alliance. 

ROSS-VOICE-CULTURE  AND  ELOCUTION. 
By  William  T.  Ross.  New  and  Revised  Edition.  i2mo, 
cloth $1  25 

A  thorough,  practical,  and  progressive  work  on  the  art  of  vocal 
and  physical  expression.  It  treats  of  calisthenics  and  the  organs  of 
speech,  and  covers  the  whole  field  of  elocution. 

"  The  nearest  perfect  of  any  book  intended  for  the  use  of  students 
of  elocution." — Lois  A.  Bangs^  Packer  Instittcte^  Brooklyn. 

RUSSELL— WHAT  JESUS  SAYS.  Beingan  arrange- 
ment of  the  words  of  our  Saviour,  under  appropriate 
headings,  with  a  full  index.  By  Rev.  Frank  Russell, 
D.D,     i2mo,  cloth $1  25 

"  The  idea  of  the  book  is  original ;  the  execution  is  excellent,  and 
cannot  fail  to  be  very  helpful  to  all  who  desire  to  know  exactly  just 
what  our  Lord  has  said.  His  simple  words  are  so  covered  up 
with  glosses  and  commentaries  that  we  are  almost  unable  to  consider 
their  natural  meaning.  In  accomplishing  this  most  desirable  result 
of  listening  to  Christ  alone,  this  work  is  most  serviceable  to  US  all," — 
y.  B.  Angell,  LL.D.,  Pres.  Michigan  University. 

SCOTT— THE    WAVERLEY    NOVELS.      By   Sir 

Walter  Scott.  Centenary  Edition.  In  25  vols.,  illus- 
trated with  158  Steel  Plates,  and  containing  additional 
Copyright  Notes  from  the  author's  pen  not  hitherto  pub- 
lished, besides  others  by  the  editor,  the  late  David  Laing, 


Publications  of  The  Baker  &  Taylor  Co. 


SCOTT— THE  WAVERLEY  l^OVRl^S.— Continued. 
LL.D.  With  a  General  Index,  and  separate  Indices  and 
Glossaries.  Sold  only  in  sets.  i2mo,  half  calf  extra, 
$68.75  ;  '^alf  morocco,  $68.75  I  cloth  extra,  gilt  top..  $31  25 

"  A  handsome  and  convenient  set,  neatly  bound  in  dark  blue 
cloth.  Each  volume  has  a  special  glossary  and  an  index,  and  the 
illustrations  are  numerous."— iV.  V.  Nation. 

"  The  edition  is  an  admirable  one.  It  is  one  of  the  best  editions 
available  for  comfortable  reading." — N.  V,  Tribune. 

STRONG— OUR  COUNTRY.  By  Rev.  Josiah 
Strong,  D.D.  140th  thousand.  Enlarged  and  revised 
with  reference  to  the  census  of  1890.  i2mo,  paper,  30 
cents  ;  cloth 60  cts. 

This  revision  shows  the  changes  of  the  last  ten  vears,  and  pictures 
the  religious,  social  and  economic  condition  and  tendencies  of  our 
country  to-day. 

The  present  edition  has  been  printed  from  entirely  new  plates, 
and  enlarged  by  the  addition  of  more  than  one-third  new  matter. 
Diagrams  have  also  been  employed  to  forcibly  illustrate  some  of  the 
more  startling  facts  and  comparisons.  In  its  new  form  it  adds  to 
its  original  worth  the  merit  of  being  the  first  general  application  of 
the  revelations  of  the  recent  census  to  the  discussions  of  the  great 
questions  of  the  day. 

THOMPSON— SONGS  IN  THE  NIGHT  WATCH- 
ES, FROM  VOICES  OLD  AND  NEW.  Compiled 
by  Helen  H.  Strong  Thompson,  with  an  Introduction 
by  Dr.  Josiah  Strong.     317  pages,  cloth,  full  gilt.  |i  25 

This  is  a  collection  of  religious  verse  designed,  in  the  words 
of  the  compiler,  "  to  pierce  with  a  joyous  note  the  darkness  of  the 
night." 

"  Nothing  lovelier  than  your  '  Songs  in  the  Night'  has  ever  come 
into  my  way." — Margaret  E.  Sangster. 

"  The  sweetest  songs  ever  sung  this  side  of  Heaven." — North- 
"western  Presbyterian. 

THWING  — THE  WORKING  CHURCH.  By 
Charles  F.  Thwing,  D.D.  i6mo,  cloth.  Revised  and 
enlarged 75  cts. 

A  careful  treatise  by  a  successful  church  administrator  on  the 
best  methods  of  making  the  church  organization  an  efficient  instru- 
ment. Its  topics  are  :  I.  The  Church  and  the  Pastor  ;  II.  The 
Character  of  Church  Work  ;  III.  The  Worth  and  the  Worthlessness 
of  Methods;  IV.  Among  the  Children  •  V.  Among  the  Young 
People*  VI.  Among  Business  Men;  VII.  From  the  Business  Point  oJ 
View  ;  VIII.  Two  Special  Agencies ;  IX.  The  Treatment  of  Stran- 
gers •  X.  The  Unchurched  ;  XI.  Duties  towards  Benevolence  ;  XII. 
The  Rewards  of  Christian  Work  ;    XIII.  The  Country  Church. 

TODD  — INDEX  RERUM.  By  John  Todd,  D.D. 
Revised  and  Improved  by  Rev.  J.  M.  Hubbard.  4to, 
cloth $2  50 


Publications  of  The  Baker  &  Taylor  Co. 


TODD— INDEX  RRKUM.- Continued. 

The  index  is  intended  to  supply  to  those  who  are  careful  enough 
readers  to  make  notes  of  what  they  may  wish  to  use  again  a  book 
especially  adapted  to  that  purpose  by  a  system  of  paging  by  letters, 
each  page  having  a  margin  for  the  insertion  of  the  word  most  ex- 
pressive of  the  subject  of  the  note.  It  contains  280  pages  of  quarto 
size,  ruled  and  lettered.  With  the  minimum  of  effort  it  secures  a 
lasting  record  of  every  reference  that  may  be  thought  worthy  of 
preservation  in  the  course  of  the  widest  reading. 

"  An  indispensable  part  of  every  literary  man's  equipment."— 
Chicago  Interior. 

TODD— THE  STUDENT'S  MANUAL.  By  John 
Todd,  D.D.     i2mo,  cloth $1  00 

As  a  formative  book  for  the  college  period  of  life,  it  is  unequalled 
in  our  literature.  It  has  received  the  universal  approbation  of 
those  who  are  interested  in  the  best  education. 

"  I  know  of  no  better  guide  for  young  men  seeking  to  obtain  a 
liberal  education.  It  ought  to  be  in  the  hands  of  every  student."  — 
James  S.  Rollins^  President  oj"  Curators,  State  University,  Mick. 

WALTON  — THE  COMPLEAT  ANGLER;  OR, 
THE  CONTEMPLATIVE  MAN'S  RECREA- 
TION. By  IzAAK  Walton.  Being  a /<2c-j-zW/<?  Reprint 
of  the  First  Edition  published  in  1653.  See  "  Fac-simile 
Reprints."  i6mo,  antique  binding,  with  Renaissance  de- 
sign, gilt  top,  $1.25  ;  imitation  pamelled  calf,  $1.25  ; 
full  morocco,  basket  pattern,  $2.25  ;  Persian,  $2.25  ; 
levant $2  50 

WOODBURY— TALKS  WITH  RALPH  WALDO 
EMERSON.  By  Charles  J.  Woodbury.  i6mo,  cloth, 
gilt  top,  with  a  hitherto  unpublished  portrait $1  25 

The  poet's  opinions,  freely  and  spontaneously  expressed  in  con- 
versations on  current  thought,  literature,  philosophy,  and  criticism, 
and  his  thoughts  about  contemporary  writers  and  workers.  The 
book  is  at  once  an  epitome  of  his  philosophy  and  a  commentary 
upon  the  time  and  society  in  which  he  lived. 

"  No  lover  of  Emerson  can  afford  to  overlook  this  book.  He  per- 
vades it.     The  man  himself  is  there."— iV>w  York  Sun. 

"  Mr.  Woodbury  is  the  one  man  who  has  caught  Emerson  as  Bos- 
well  caught  Johnson ;  caught  him  in  his  "utterance ;  caught  the 
accent  of  his  sentences  ;  caught  the  very  impulse  which  Emerson 
felt  himseW  in  the  act  of  speaking."— C4/c<z^<7  Interior. 


Publications  of  The  Baker  &  Taylor  Co. 
ADDITIONS     TO     THE     LIST     OF 

THE  BAKER  &  TAYLOR  CO. 


CUYLER.— THE  EMPTY  CRIB.  By  Theodore  L. 
CUYLER,  D.D.  24mo,  cloth,  full  gilt,  with  two  steel  por- 
traits   75  cts. 

"  Those  who  have  lost  little  children  by  death,  will  read  this  book 
with  moist  t-yt-^y— Lutheran  Observer. 

"  A  real  gem  ;  the  outpouring  of  a  stricken  parent's  sorrows  into 
the  very  bosom  of  the  Saviour.   —C/irzj/za«  Advocate. 

CUYLER.— GOD'S  LIGHT  ON  DARK  CLOUDS. 

By  Theodore  L.  Cuyler,  D.D.     i6mo,  cloth. ...  75  cts. 

"To  thousands  of  disconsolate  hearts  these  pages  are  fitted  to 
carry  just  the  comfort  which  they  CTa.v&.^''—Congregationalist. 

*•'  These  are  words  of  sympathy  and  cheer  to  the  desponding  and 
bereaved— utterances  clear,  tender,  and  comforting,  out  of  a  sufler- 
ing  heart  to  suffering  htdsts.''^— Presbyterian. 

CUYLER.— HOW  TO  BE  A  PASTOR.  By  Theo- 
dore L.  Cuyler,  D.D.     i6mo,  cloth,  gilt  top 75  cts. 

"  If  any  man  living  understands  the  subject  of  this  little  book,  it 
is  Dr.  Cny\tr.^'-— Independent. 

"  Ought  to  be  read  by  all  pastors,  young  and  old."— iV^.  V.  Tri- 
bune. 

"Its  beauty  and  its  power  are  precisely  in  this,  that  it  is  emi- 
nently simple,  its  teachings  so  obvious  that  their  mere  statement 
carries  conviction  of  their  entire  adequacy.  Their  statement  is  full 
of  charm."— iV.  Y.  Evangelist. 

"This  book  will  be  read  by  thousands  of  teachable  and  conscien- 
tious ministers.  It  ought  to  be.  Dr.  Cuyler  is  a  noted  example  of 
success  in  this  branch  of  work.  Nobody's  pen  can  write  wiser 
words  than  his."— yV/zV/z.  Christian  Advocate. 

CUYLER.  — POINTED  PAPERS  FOR  THE 
CHRISTIAN  LIFE.  By  Theodore  L.  Cuyler,  D.D. 
i2mo,  cloth,  with  a  steel  portrait  of  the  author $1  50 

"  Dr.  Cuyler  holds  steadily  the  position  which  he  reached  years 
ago,  as  the  best  writer  of  pointed,  racy  religious  articles  in  our 
COMXiXxy .''''— Presbyterian. 

"  We  know  of  no  better  volume  for  the  stimulation  and  guidance 
of  the  Christian  life  in  all  our  reading,  nor  one  more  likely  to  attract 
and  hold  readers  of  widely  varying  culture  and  character."— £"z/a»- 
gelist. 


Publications  of  The  Baker  &  Taylor  Co. 


CUYLER.— STRAY  ARROWS.  By  Theodore  L. 
CUYLER,  D.D.     i8mo,  cloth 60  cts. 

"  A  collection  of  brief,  pointed  religious  articles.  They  are  very 
suggestive,  and  arrest  the  reader's  attention  by  their  pointed  man- 
ner as  well  as  their  striking  and  impressive  thought." — Evangelist. 

MORELL.— AN  HISTORICAL  AND  CRITICAL 
VIEW  OF  THE  SPECULATIVE  PHILOSO- 
PHY OF  EUROPE  IN  THE  NINETEENTH 
CENTURY.      By    J.    D.    Morell.       8vo,    cloth,    752 

pp $3  50 

"  The  late  Dr.  Chalmers  said  in'the  North  British  Review,  that 
he  had  seldom  read  an  author  who  makes  such  lucid  conveyance  of 
his  thoughts,  and  these  never  of  light  or  slender  quality,  but 
substantial  and  deep  as  the  philosophy  in  which  he  deals.  In  sim- 
ilar terms  the  leading  reviews  and  writers  abroad  have  spoken  of 
him,  and  his  philosophical  history  has  taken  rank  among  the  very 
best  productions  of  the  age." — N.  Y.  Observer. 

RYLE— EXPOSITORY  THOUGHTS  ON  THE 
GOSPELS.     By  Rev.  J.  C.  Ryle.     7  vols.,  i2mo,  cloth, 

in  a  set $8  00 

Matthew,  i  vol.  Mark,  i  vol.  Luke,  2  vols.  John,  3 
vols.     Each  volume $l  25 

"  It  is  the  kernels  without  the  shells." — Christian  Union. 

"It  has  a  sure  place  in  many  families,  and  in  nearly  every  minis- 
ter's library." — Lntheratz  Observer. 

"  The  work  of  a  ripe  scholar.  These  expository  thoughts  have 
met  with  the  heartiest  welcome  from  the  press  of  the  leading  Chris- 
tian denominations  in  this  country.''''— Inter-Ocean. 

THORNE— FUGITIVE  FACTS.  An  Epitome  of  Gen- 
eral Information,  obtained  in  Large  Part  from  Sources  not 
Generally  Accessible  and  Covering  more  than  One  Thousand 
Topics  of  General  Interest  and  Frequent  Inquiry.  By 
Robert  Thorne,  M.  A.     8vo,  cloth 2  00 

"  It  answers  hundreds  of  such  questions  as  are  addressed  to  our 
Department  of  Replies  and  Decisions,  and  will  be  found  invaluable 
in  the  family,  in  the  office,  in  the  school-room,  and  wherever  else 
there  is  an  inquiring  mind." — New  York  Journal  of  Commerce. 

"  It  is  as  full  of  information  as  an  &^%  is  of  meat,  and,  from  the 
composition  of  Absinthe  to  the  politics  of  Zululand,  all  interests  are 
provided  for.''''— The  Nation. 

The  above  books  will  be  jnailed  postpaid  to  any  address  on  receipt 
of  the  Price  by  the  publishers . 

THE  BAKER  &  TAYLOR  CO., 

740  AND  742  Broadway,  New  York. 


A  NEW  BOOK  BY  DR.  CUYLHR. 


HOW  TO  BE  A  PASTOR 

BY  THEODORE  L.  CUYLER,  D.  D. 


16mo,  G-ilt  Top,  75  Cents. 


CONTENTS. 

I. — Importance  of  Pastoral  Labor.  II, — Pastoral  Visits. 
III.— Visitation  of  the  Sick— Funeral  Services.  IV.— Treat- 
ment OF  THE  Troubled.  V. — How  to  Have  a  Working  Church. 
VI.— Training  Converts.  VII.— Prayer  -  Meetings.  VIII.— A 
Model  Prayer  -  Meeting.  IX.— Revivals.  X.— Drawing  the 
Bow  at  a  Venture.  XI. — Where  to  be  a  Pastor.  XII.— Joys 
OF  the  Christian  Ministry. 

"It  is  not  everyone  who  has  wisdom  and  opportunity,  at  the  close 
of  a  long  career  of  usefulness,  so  to  take  account  of  the  results  of  his 
work  as  to  bring  to  light  the  secrets  of  his  success,  and  to  present  them 
in  concrete  form  to  those  who  shall  come  after  him.  This  Dr.  Cuyler 
has  been  able  to  do.  In  the  little  book  l^efore  us  we  have  the  key  to 
the  pastor's  triumphs  over  the  difficulties  and  problems  of  a  forty  years' 
pastorate — a  master-key  indeed,  which  will  fit  the  wards  of  many  a 
young  pastor's  perplexities,  and  open  for  him  the  door  into  a  large 
freedom  in  that  dealing  with  the  human  heart  which  is  his  important 
work. " — Evangelist. 

"The  fruit  of  large  native  sense,  long  experience,  wide  observa- 
tion, and  devout  consecration." — Congregationalist. 

"If  any  man  living  understands  the  subject  of  this  little  book  it  is 
Dr.  Cuyler.     He  writes  briefly  and  to  the  point." — Independent. 

"Ought  to  be  read  by  all  pastors,  young  and  old.  Dr.  Cuyler  has 
been,  himself,  almost  an  ideal  pastor.'" — N'.  Y.  Tribune. 


Sent,  postpaid,  upon  receipt  of  price,  by 

the  baker  &  taylor  co., 

publishers, 

740  and  742  Broadway,  New  York, 


WORKS   BY   ARTHUR  T.   PIERSON. 


THE   CRISIS   OF   MISSIONS; 

Or,    THE    VOICE    OUT    OF    THE    CLOUD. 
i6mo,  paper,  35  cents;  cloth,  $1.25. 

"  One  of  the  most  important  books  to  the  Cause  of  Foreign  Missions,  and,  through 
them,  to  Home  Missions  also,  which  ever  has  been  written.  It  should  be  in  every 
library  and  every  household.  It  should  be  read,  studied,  taken  to  heart,  and  prayed 
over." — Congregatio7ialist . 

•'  We  do  not  hesitate  to  say  that  this  book  is  the  most  purposeful,  earnest,  and  in- 
telligent review  of  the  mission  work  and  field  which  has  ever  been  given  to  the 
church." — Christian  Statesman. 

EVANGELISTIC  WORK  IN  PRINCIPLE  AND  PRACTICE. 

i6mo,  paper,  35  cents;  cloth,  $1.25. 

"  If  our  pen  could  become  as  fervent  as  fire,  and  as  fluent  as  the  wave,  we  could 
not  write  either  too  warmly  or  too  well  of  this  book.  Dr.  Pierson  has  given  us  a  real 
book — a  thunderbolt— a  cataract  of  fire.  These  flame-flakes  ought  to  fall  m  showers 
all  over  Christendom,  and  set  every  house  on  fire." — C.  H.  Sptirgeon. 

"The  book  tingles  with  the  evangelistic  spirit,  and  is  full  of  arousement  without 
sliding  into  fanaticism." — Springfield  Reptcblican. 

"  A  stirring  trumpet  blast  to  every  earnest  soul  it  reaches." — Christian  at  Work. 

"  Every  page  is  filled  with  the  evangelistic  spirit Dr.  Pierson  is  full 

of  facts,  arguments,  incidents,  illustrations,  and  pours  them  over  his  pages  in  a  molten 
stream." — N,  V.  Evangelist. 

THE    ONE    GOSPEL; 

Or,   THE    COMBINATION    OF   THE   NARRATIVES   OF   THE   FOUR 
EVANGELISTS  IN  ONE  COMPLETE    RECORD. 

Edited  by  Rev.  Arthur  T.  Pierson,  D.  D.     i2mo,  flexible  cloth,  red 
edges,  75  cents;  limp  morocco,  full  gilt,  $2.00. 

Without  taking  the  place  of  the  four  Gospels  this  book  will  be  an  aid  in  their 
study — a  commentary  wholly  Biblical,  whereby  the  reader  may,  at  one  view,  see  the 
complete  and  harmonious  testimony  of  four  independent  witnesses. 

"  Dr.  Pierson  has  done  his  work  with  excellent  judgment  and  fidelity  to  the  spirit 
and  letter  of  the  evangelists." — Christian  Unioit. 

"  To  ministers,  Sunday-school  teachers,  and  all  Bible  students  it  is  of  great  value, 
presenting,  as  it  does,  the  gospel  story  without  break,  and  the  events  in  chronological 
order." — Presbyterian  Observer, 


The  above  books  sent,  postpaid,  on  receipt  of  the  price, 
by  the  publishers, 

THK     BAKKR     &     TAYIvOR     CO., 

740  AND  742   BROADWAY,  NEW  YORK. 


jfl'm  I'ni   ^''^°'°9"^3l  Seminary-Speer  Library 


1    1012  01113  5037 


Date  Due 


1^5     W 


•4o 


%*«.£ 


t      1 


m 


■^*fe" 


